Aaron Citron is the Associate Director of External Affairs at The Nature Conservancy, where he leads state-level policy engagement across Colorado. His work spans a wide array of conservation priorities, including water management, healthy forests, renewable energy siting, and partnerships with private landowners and tribal nations. Aaron plays a key role in bridging on-the-ground conservation efforts with the legislative and regulatory frameworks that support them. He also helps shape TNC’s strategy around climate and energy policy, working to ensure a rapid but responsible transition to renewable infrastructure.
Aaron grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where early exposure to the desert landscape—and its vital, limited water resources—sparked a lifelong interest in the natural world. After studying history and political science at Emory University, he returned west for law school at the University of Arizona, focusing on water and land use law. His career has taken him from local land trusts to national NGOs like Environmental Defense Fund, always at the intersection of policy, place, and practical impact. Along the way, he’s built a reputation for thoughtful, collaborative work that reflects both his legal background and his deep connection to the West.
In our conversation, Aaron shares a detailed look at how conservation policy gets made—from coalition-building and legislative drafting to navigating complex stakeholder relationships. We discuss examples like Colorado’s response to Clean Water Act rollbacks and new tools to support in-stream flows on the Yampa River. He talks about the balance between urgency and patience, the importance of trust in long-term conservation, and how calm, clearheaded engagement can shape better outcomes. It’s a compelling look at the behind-the-scenes work that makes public-facing conservation efforts possible.
Be sure the check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed and links to everything. Thanks to Aaron for this conversation and thank you for listening. Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of The Nature Conservancy, Header photo: Sunset on the Yampa River at Carpenter Ranch in Northwest Colorado. © John Fielder
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EPISODE PARTNER:
This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive.
During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. You can access all of the episodes here.
To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org
RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 3:15 – Starting at the beginning, growing up in Tucson
- 7:42 – Underrated Arizona
- 11:23 – From environmental history to law school
- 15:22 – After law school, including a TNC internship
- 18:11 – Landing at the Arizona Land and Water Trust
- 21:24 – Path to TNC
- 24:06 – Aaron’s role at TNC
- 27:42 – Clean Water Act protection project
- 33:40 – Getting the information to the people
- 35:29 – Yampa River Fund
- 40:39 – What makes someone good at policy work?
- 46:11 – The power of relationships
- 49:00 – Federal versus state policy focuses
- 53:40 – Remaining calm
- 57:21 – Book recs
- 1:01:53 – Parting thoughts
Information Referenced:
- Aaron Citron – Associate Director of External Affairs at The Nature Conservancy
- TNC Colorado’s 2024 Year In Review
- Dan Stellar with TNC on Mountain & Prairie
- Arizona Land and Water Trust in Tucson. Aaron’s first role out of law school.
- Peter Gower and Chris Menges from TNC on M&P about the energy transition.
- Discussion about the Yampa River Fund on M&P with TNC’s Diana Lane and Aaron Derwingson
- Book recs: The Emerald Mile, The Fool’s Progress by Edward Abbey
- Doug Peacock on Mountain & Prairie, talking about grizzlies and burying Ed Abbey
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Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.
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