About the Agency
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is a national leader in conservation, recreation and wildlife management. As a Division of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, we are Colorado’s primary agency focused on protecting and caring for some of our most valued and valuable resources. These resources form the very fabric of our state and define who we are. Our mission is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.
Our Work
Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff have worked for over a century to ensure the health and future of Colorado’s state parks and wildlife through cutting- edge science and innovative conservation practices.
- Issues hunting and fishing licenses
- Conducts research to improve wildlife management activities
- Protects high priority wildlife habitat through acquisitions and partnerships
- Provides technical assistance to private and other public landowners concerning wildlife and habitat management
- Develops programs to understand, protect and recover threatened and endangered species
- CPW also administers the state's trail program and registers boats, snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles and river outfitters.
- Regulations are established by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission.
43
State Parks managed
960+
Colorado wildlife species managed
350
State Wildlife Areas managed
4
regions managed
Meet the Executive Management Team
Jeff Davis
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Director
Jeff Davis joined Colorado Parks and Wildlife as Director in May 2023. Prior to leading CPW, Jeff had a nearly 23-year career with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, serving as an Area Habitat Biologist, a Forest and Fish Section Manager, the Deputy Assistant Director and the Assistant Director of WDFW’s Habitat Program.
Heather Disney Dugan
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Deputy Director
During her 30-year career, she has had the good fortune to serve in several roles, including acting director, as a ranger, training officer, park manager, assistant region manager, region manager, and most recently in her role as the Assistant Region Manager for Field Services and Chief of Law Enforcement.
Reid DeWalt
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Deputy Director
Reid DeWalt is the Assistant Director for the Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Natural Resources branch for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Reid oversees the Terrestrial, Aquatic, and Water sections within the agency. He is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in Fish Biology. He began his career as a District Wildlife Manager in 1998 and served in the Colorado Springs NE district for 8 years.
Travis Black
Northwest Region Manager
Travis went into the US Army right out of high school and served four years of active duty. He then returned home to Texas where he worked on a farm and ranch for six years. He moved to Colorado in 1994 to attend college.
Cory Chick
Southwest Region Manager
After working for nearly 20 years at a variety of positions for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Cory Chick was named Southwest Region Manager in February 2019. A native of Texas, Cory served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining CPW in the late 1990s. He started his career working as a technician in the aquatics section in the San Luis Valley. While working for CPW he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with an emphasis on wildlife from Adams State University in Alamosa.
Brian Dreher
Assistant Director, Terrestrial Wildlife
Brian Dreher is the Assistant Director for the Terrestrial Wildlife Branch at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Michigan State University with an M.S. in Wildlife Biology.
Fletcher Jacobs
Assistant Director, Outdoor Recreation and Lands
Fletcher Jacobs is the Assistant Director for Outdoor Recreation and Lands for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. In this position, he is responsible for the delivery of enjoyable and sustainable recreational opportunities and the management of land through real estate acquisition and conservation with partnering landowners. Fletcher has been with the agency since 2015, most recently serving as the State Trails Program Manager where he led implementation of the Colorado Trails Strategic Plan and administered four outdoor recreation grant programs.
Kelly Kaemerer
Assistant Director, Information & Education
Kelly is a fourth generation Coloradan who hails from a long line of farmers and small business owners. She grew up outside in Northwest Colorado – fishing, camping, and hunting with her family. Kelly then moved to Washington, D.C. and graduated from The American University with a degree in Communications and a minor in International Studies. She held various positions with newspapers, magazines, and tech companies early in her career.
Mark Leslie
Northeast Region Manager
Mark is a Colorado native, born in Boulder and raised in Fruita. Mark holds degrees in Geology and Wildlife Biology and was hired by the Division of Wildlife in 1986 as a District Wildlife Manager. His first assignment was the La Junta District, followed by Fort Collins.
Frank McGee
Southeast Region Manager
Frank was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He moved to Colorado to attend Regis University in Denver, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology and environmental science. In 2004 he was selected for CPW's wildlife officer academy, and at the conclusion of training served as a district wildlife manager in the Palisade district.
Matt Nicholl
Assistant Director, Aquatic Wildlife
Matt Nicholl was named the Assistant Director of the Aquatic Wildlife Branch in 2024. Matt started his career with CPW as temporary in 1983. He was hired as a full-time Hatchery Technician in 1988 and became the Assistant Hatchery Manager at Pitkin Hatchery in 1990.
Ty Petersburg
Assistant Director for Field Services
After receiving a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University, Ty joined the Colorado Division of Wildlife in 2002 as a Wildlife Officer and District Wildlife Manager. While in the field, he held districts in Conifer and later, Clear Creek County, until late in 2015. In 2016, he began serving as the Area Wildlife Manager in Area 4, supervising CPW's Northern Colorado office in Fort Collins, covering most of Larimer and Weld counties along the Wyoming border.
Mike Quartuch, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Policy and Planning
Mike Quartuch is the Assistant Director for the Policy and Planning branch with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Prior to joining the executive team, Mike served as the lead social scientist for the agency for seven years. Broadly, Mike's research spanned both parks and wildlife programs and often focused on understanding the relationship between people's attitudes, social norms, motivations, constraints and behaviors in order to integrate these social data into management, policy, and practice.
Justin Rutter
Assistant Director for Financial Services
Justin Rutter is the assistant director for Financial Services and oversees the accounting, budgeting, procurement, and grant processes for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He joined the agency as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer in January 2016. He was selected to lead the financial services group as Chief Financial Officer in June 2016.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Plans and Reports
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Plans and Reports
CPW works with local, state and federal partners to advance our mission, and is accountable to the state legislature to share our progress on key funding initiatives. The plans on this page serve as a view into the agency’s historical work, a report on how we’ve managed legislative budgets and as guidance for future work in recreation and conservation needs in Colorado.
Regional Operations
The Northeast Region spans from the bird watcher’s grassland paradise of the eastern plains to the edge of the majestic Rockies to the west. Encompassing the cities of Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, northeast Colorado has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country. The Northeast Region’s residents’ demands for a balance of urban amenities and outdoor recreation opportunities present unique challenges. Maintaining quality service and managing large crowds in parks and on trails, while providing hunting and angling opportunities for a changing and diverse population requires strong and sustained financial support.
In this region, CPW manages and provides public access to:
4
Fish Hatcheries
15
State Parks
28
Colorado Natural Area Program Sites
37
State Trust Lands
76
State Wildlife Areas
The state’s Northwest Region is a paradise for all outdoor recreationists. Home to the largest elk herds in the country and several stretches of Gold Medal waters, the region provides big game hunting and angling opportunities at a world-class level. It is the home of varied and beautiful scenery–much of it found within its 13 excellent state parks. From one end of the region to the other, one can experience rugged, pristine mountain peaks, sagebrush oceans, pinyon-juniper woodlands, alpine forests, deserts and canyons, plentiful streams, rivers and reservoirs, all providing excellent habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.
Each year, thousands of adventurers–both Colorado residents and non-residents–visit the Northwest Region to enjoy some of the best outdoor recreation in the world, including hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, camping, biking, hiking, boating and much more. Continuing to provide these wonderful recreational opportunities requires critical conservation and maintenance efforts from CPW staff.
Outdoor recreation remains a major economic driver for much of Northwest Colorado, including many rural communities. A significant portion of the region's residents depend on hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing for their livelihoods.
In this region, CPW manages and provides public access to:
4
4 Fish Hatcheries
13
State Parks
28
Colorado Natural Areas Program Sites
91
State Trust Lands
65
State Wildlife Areas
The Southwest Region is a destination for all outdoor enthusiasts. Millions of people from around the state, around the country and around the world visit this region every year. Hunting and fishing are excellent, hikers and mountain bikers can find hundreds of miles of trails, boat owners can find great reservoirs at Navajo, Ridgway, Crawford, Mancos and Paonia state parks. CPW activities and facilities contribute millions of dollars in economic activity to Southwest Region communities.
Restoring native species is an important part of CPW’s work. If species go on the endangered species list, the federal government can impose rules that affect private property owners and the state government. For 20 years, CPW’s aquatic biologists in the Durango area have been working with the U.S. Forest Service to restore native Colorado River cutthroat trout to the Hermosa Creek drainage north of Durango, and the native trout have been restored to about 20 miles of streams in the Hermosa Creek area.
In this region, CPW manages and provides public access to:
5
Fish Hatcheries
7
State Parks
22
Colorado Natural Area Program Sites
39
State Trust Lands
70
State Wildlife Areas
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)’s Southeast Region comprises the Arkansas River drainage from the Leadville area in Lake County east to Kansas and south to New Mexico. The region also includes the Republican River drainage north of Interstate 70 on the Kansas border. The natural resources in this area are among the best in the entire United States, from fantastic bird watching areas on the eastern plains to outstanding fishing and rafting along the Arkansas Headwaters to amazing hunting from the Spanish Peaks to Pikes Peak, in the Sangre de Cristos and Wet Mountains.
Outdoor recreation draws millions of tourists and residents alike to this area every year. But with great resources come great responsibilities. The region’s challenges are rising – from increasing human-wildlife conflicts in metro areas like Colorado Springs and Pueblo, to aging infrastructure on dams and waterways.
In this region, CPW manages and provides public access to:
4
Fish Hatcheries
7
State Parks
16
Colorado Natural Areas Program Sites
63
State Trust Lands
75
State Wildlife Areas
Funding Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Although CPW became a merged agency in 2011, state statute and federal regulations require that the budgets for parks and wildlife remain separate. CPW employs a user-pays model of funding in which hunting and fishing licenses, federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, motorized recreation vehicle registrations, and park-generated pass revenue comprise the majority of CPW’s proceeds.