National Park Trust (NPT) is pleased to announce that Colorado Senator Mark Udall will be the recipient of the 2010 Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award.

"I am honored to receive the National Park Trust's Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award," says Senator Udall. "I am humbled by this recognition and to be joining the distinguished recipients of this prestigious award. Like Congressman Vento, I have been proud to contribute to our nation's lands legacy - inspired by my family's generations of respect for the environment and my own personal outdoor experience. I will continue to fight as a Senator and as chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee to preserve our public lands so that they can continue to inspire and sustain generations to come."

"Senator Udall has an outstanding record in land conservation and environmental protection, the highlights of which include the creation of the James Peak Wilderness Bill and the transformation of the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Facility into a wildlife refuge," says NPT Board Chair, William Brownell, "As the chair of National Parks Subcommittee, Senator Udall has reaffirmed his priority of protecting our parks, a commitment that was established long before he became an elected official."

The Senator's passion to connect children with the outdoors began with his work prior to his work as a Senator when he was as an educator and executive director of Colorado Outward Bound. His commitment serves as an inspiration to NPT's Youth to Parks™ programs, featuring NPT wooly mascot, Buddy Bison™, and our vision that 'everyone will have an American park experience'.

Senator Udall has also become a national leader on renewable energy and "green" jobs, including numerous initiatives to establish alternative energy resources and enact a national renewable electricity standard. NPT celebrates his proven track record in establishing bi-partisan partnerships to achieve important environmental milestones.

The Vento Award was established in 2000 by NPT to honor the memory and legacy of Bruce F. Vento, a twelve-term Congressman from Minnesota, dedicated environmentalist, and a champion of legislation for America's park. The Award honors a public servant for his or her commitment to the environment, and his service, skill, and innovation in support of our public lands.

Recent recipients include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator Harry Reid, Congressman George Miller, and Senator John McCain. The award will be presented at a reception in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 2010.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST
National Park Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of our nation's critical parklands and reconnecting our youth - especially those that are underserved - to nature. NPT's mission is to provide important recreational and educational parkland opportunities for current and future generations. As people spend more time indoors and as successive generations grow up with less of a connection to nature, NPT wants to build greater awareness and appreciation for the importance of our country's public lands and parks. To achieve this, NPT seeks to champion the acquisition and preservation of critical national, state and local parklands and to build a greater awareness through education - focusing on our youth.

National Park Trust

National Park Trust

The National Park Trust is a nonprofit 501c3 organization. NPT is the nation’s only organization dedicated to the completion, and the full appreciation, of the American system of National and State Parks through the identification of key land acquisition needs and opportunities, the convening of potential funders to acquire these lands, as well increasing efforts to ensure that future generations appreciate and experience this national heritage.

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