National Park Trust Honors Colorado Senator Mark Udall with its 2010 Vento Award

Colorado Senator Mark Udall will receive the 2010 Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award from the nonprofit National Park Trust (NPT) at a ceremony on Thursday, June 17 in Washington. Established in 2000 by NPT, the award honors the memory and legacy of Bruce F. Vento, a twelve-term Congressman from Minnesota, dedicated environmentalist and champion of legislation for America’s parks. The award honors a public servant for his or her commitment to the environment as well as skill and innovation in support of our nation’s public lands.

“I am honored to receive the National Park Trust’s Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award,” said 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.”

According to NPT Board Chair, William Brownell, “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. As the chair of the 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 year ago when he served as an educator and executive director of Colorado Outward Bound. His commitment is an inspiration to NPT’s Youth to Parks™ programs, featuring NPT wooly mascot, Buddy Bison™, and the organization’s 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.

Past recipients of the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award include: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nevada Senator Harry Reid, California Congressman George Miller and Arizona Senator John McCain.

To become a sponsor of the event please contact NPT's Development Director, Shana Newman Farjado, at 301-279-7275 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . All proceeds from the event benefit NPT's land conservation and youth education programs.