Trust for Public Land hires Jason Swann to bring equity outdoors

Jason Swann started his new job this month at the Trust for Public Land as conservation finance director for the Intermountain West.

• Swann, a leader in conservation and access to the outdoors, will oversee the creation of new funding for city and state land conservation, parks, climate and equity initiatives in Colorado and other four-corner states.

What's next: The Nederland resident is working on voter-approved ballot measures and legislative action to connect historically disenfranchised communities with nature.

Meet him: Swann previously served as a land policy analyst at Western Resource Advocates, and was recently appointed by Gov. Jared Polis to serve on the Environmental Justice Advisory Board.

• He talked to Axios Denver about what makes him tick:

🥾 Preferred hiking spot: Arapahoe Pass and Lake Dorothy Trail near Nederland. "It's a little bit of everything you want from a hike," he says.

🌅 Favorite time to be outside: "I'm a sunrise chaser." He wakes up as early as 3am to get the best views.

📷 Go-to gear: His camera, whether it's his Fuji X-T2 or iPhone 13. He likes to "capture the outdoors and soak in those endorphins" at home as he edits photos and listens to music.

🎵 Streaming: Jazz and lo-fi.

📖 Reading list: "Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It" and "Autobiography of a Yogi."