An innocuous headline on the front page of the July 29, 1993, edition of the La Junta Tribune-Democrat reads “Leslie Leaving Wildlife Post.” A photo of a 30something Mark Leslie stares up from the article detailing his six years serving as the Division of Wildlife officer in La Junta and upcoming new gig as the DOW officer for Fort Collins.
“If I didn’t love the job, I wouldn’t stay in it,” he told the newspaper’s reporter 33 years ago.
While those words still ring true for Mark in 2026, his latest job move from Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Northeast Regional Manager to retirement may not make front page headlines today, but it’s still news that’s fit to print.
Naturally, a lifetime of public service to the land, wildlife, and people of Colorado has to start in childhood. Mark recalls tagging along with his dad, Jack, as a kid while his father worked for then-DOW, eventually ending his own career in natural resources as Area Wildlife Manager out in Grand Junction. He will proudly tell anyone who will listen about the photo of Jack Leslie checking the fishing license of an angler at Sloan’s Lake in the 60s that is hanging in the showcase conference room at CPW headquarters in Denver.
“They still tell Jack Leslie stories on the Western Slope,” he jokes.
While his first job was in the oil fields in other Western states, Mark’s heart and genes were always going to call him back to Colorado and its wildlife. He wouldn’t have found his way to the natural resources career path if it wasn’t for Jack, even if his dad’s reaction to Mark’s questioning if he could do the wildlife manager job was tepid, “He said ‘Eh I suppose, you probably could.’”
Jack’s instincts, though, were spot-on, as Mark’s resume with CPW and DOW reads like the game warden standard: 12 years as a district wildlife officer in a plains district then in a metro district (La Junta and Fort Collins, respectively), serve as statewide game damage coordinator, promoted to Area Wildlife Manager overseeing Boulder first then laterally transfer to Fort Collins, get called up to the region-level management with a short stint as a Northeast Deputy Region Manager, and then finally named Northeast Regional Manager in 2016 responsible for overseeing 15 state parks, 5 wildlife areas, and hundreds of CPW staff.
However, a 40-year career in natural resource management cannot be defined by job titles or years served.
Nor can it be summarized by accolades or milestones, of which Mark has many: the first CPW officer to attend the National Association of Conservation Law Enforcement Chiefs Leadership Academy, instrumental in implementing the $5,000 cap for big game damage claims, nearly 120,000 acres added to the Northeast Region in land acquisitions for state parks and wildlife conservation, on the forefront of Colorado’s response to Chronic Wasting Disease when the virus first emerged on the landscape, nominated for the Cliff Coghill Career Achievement Award, getting the long-awaited new Fort Collins administrative office project off the ground, key in pushing for critical wildlife mapping, and many others he is either too modest to divulge or his close friends are too worried about his ego to share (most likely the latter).
It’s defined by the ineffable legacy Mark Leslie leaves behind. It’s in the people he’s hired, in the staff he’s mentored, in the school programs he gladly put on, in the hours of what he calls “windshield time” talking with phone pressed to his ear while driving, in the infamous coffee meetings for challenging talks, in the dry quips during meetings, in the landscapes he has changed, in the tough decisions he met head-on. A countless number of ways Mark’s fingerprints are all over the agency.
When asked how he would like CPW to remember him, Mark responds in his usual matter-of-fact manner, “I don’t.” He’s not known for shying away from the spotlight, but he modestly shines the recognition in his staff’s direction or on CPW’s mission.
Others, however, have more to say about his work.
Perhaps his biggest takeaway after 40 years is how to approach tough conversations with differing viewpoints. Mark is not one to sit on the sideline when challenges arise. Often a figure called upon during Parks and Wildlife Commission meetings, he remembers when he would spend hours testifying in front of commissioners as the game damage coordinator. Now the time in front of the microphone is easy compared to those grueling days.
“I’m not easily intimidated. Nothing gets solved standing across from someone with your arms crossed. I like people. I respect people. I would rather bring people to the table to compromise than rule in an authoritarian manner. I am willing to take that mantle and run with it.”
It’s a mindset that can only come through experience and mistakes.
“When I started out, everything was black and white. I came to realize as I’ve gotten older: there’s not a lot of black and white situations. A lot of times it’s a difference of philosophy. Where you’ve been. What you’ve experienced.”
A lot of things change over four decades. Colorado’s population was hovering just over 3 million when Mark became a wildlife officer. He was sent out into his first district with a truck, ticket book, and a pair of binoculars (CPW gives wildlife officers just a bit more equipment in 2026). In his first year in the burgeoning Fort Collins district, he wrote 60 land use comment letters in the early 1980s due to all the development. He remains in awe of all the funding streams CPW now has, reminiscing they would not have dreamed of this capital from the Keep Colorado Wild pass 15 or 20 years ago.
“It’s been fascinating to see the changes. It’s a challenging place to work because people love our natural resources. People love to be here. CPW is at the center of that discussion. We cut across so many demographics because of all our work. We’re at the center of what people love about Colorado.”
But for a self-described history buff, Mark has always been focused on the future. His dedication to the agency’s mission is unmatched. He had the foresight to see recreation and land use changing and fight for CPW’s place at the table. He understood the need for partnerships with key stakeholders and landowners because “nothing gets done alone.” He councils the new training classes to keep the fire in their bellies for the mission, always the north star for Mark.
“There’s always going to be wildlife to manage. There’s always going to be parks. CPW is always going to be at the forefront of that. There’s going to be challenges in funding it and management. We’re going to have to be open to other ideas with changing demographics.”
When he is not picking his battles during his career in public service, Mark is picking banjo strings around Colorado and the West. An accomplished musician, Mark’s love for bluegrass and country tunes started in his college years and has followed him ever since. Playing the banjo, strumming the guitar, singing, and touring with his band will be one of the best things about hanging up the badge, second only to spending more time with his two grandkids. The proud grandfather did allow himself one big retirement indulgence: a 100-year-old banjo he recently bought with what he considers to be the best tone and volume of anything he’s played.
He’s determined to finish his time in public service strong, refusing to go out meek and mild. Not that anyone would ever describe Mark as meek or mild. He is choosing to write the next chapter in his storied life, welcoming the transition and a new job title for the first time in 40 years without regret.
“I’m excited about retirement. I didn’t want to be excited. How could I be excited about doing something different? Life is about changes. It’s how you embrace or don’t embrace those changes that make you happy. I want to embrace the change.”
Quick draws with Mark Leslie
- Favorite Colorado wildlife? Coyotes and pronghorn
- Favorite thing to hunt? Pronghorn and pheasants
- Favorite method of take? Rifle shotgun
- Favorite fishing spot? Poudre River
- What’s the last book you read? autobiography of George Bent of Old Bent Fort fame
- Favorite state park? Won’t say, but admits he spends the most time at Lory State Park hiking
- Musical influences? Earl Scruggs, classic country, classic rock, classic bluegrass
- Favorite bluegrass festival to play? Miles City Montana and Colby Kansas
Written by Kara Van Hoose. Kara is the Northeast Region Public Information Officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
2 Responses
I only met Mark a couple of times at those Division of Wildlife meetings, once sitting down at the same table. The thing that really assured me about Mark is that he was a wildlife officer before all else. He might have worked as an administrator when I met him but he knew the issues and how they affect what happens to wildlife and hunters. It’s reassuring when you meet someone like Mark working for CPW. I hope he takes time now to have a little fun.
Best Wishes, Thanks for a lifetime of SERVICE.
Let me know where your playing locally, I’ll buy you a huckleberry sasparilla.