June 11, 2008

Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Harry Reid was awarded the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award by the National Park Trust. Senator Reid received the award in recognition of his lifetime of outstanding service and innovation in the preservation of Nevada’s outdoors. Among Reid’s accomplishments is the creation Great Basin National Park, Nevada’s first and only national park.

“I am honored to receive this award named for my friend, Bruce Vento,” Reid said. “Bruce was a great man who devoted his life to keeping America beautiful. Together, we created Great Basin National Park. In honoring his memory, we must all continue to do our part in preserving Nevada’s wealth of outdoor treasures.”

Bruce F. Vento served as the Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands for more than a decade. He is credited with laws that preserve wilderness areas in Alaska, Minnesota, and American Samoa.