National Park Trust Honors Senator Shelley Moore Capito with 25th Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award

June 11, 2025

Washington, D.C. (June 11, 2025) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – On June 10th, National Park Trust honored Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) with the 25th Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award in Washington, DC. This prestigious national award recognizes a public servant for their exemplary service, skill, and innovation in protecting and preserving our country’s public lands and waters.

National Park Trust acknowledged Senator Capito’s significant, decades-long dedication to conservation and her leadership in advancing policies that enhance access to and protect our national parks and public lands, especially in her home state of West Virginia. Among her most notable accomplishments is her work to redesignate New River Gorge as the nation’s 63rd national park in 2020, the first in the state’s history. Senator Capito championed this effort, recognizing the park’s immense ecological and recreational value, securing long-term protection for over 70,000 acres of land along one of the oldest rivers in North America.

As the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Capito has also been instrumental in securing significant federal investments in infrastructure, conservation, and recreation. She played a key role in the passage of the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act last year, legislation that will reauthorize critical habitat and wildlife conservation efforts throughout the country.

Senator Capito has also championed initiatives to expand outdoor access in rural and under-resourced communities, including her advocacy for community-based recreation programs and trail systems that connect people to nature. Additionally, Senator Capito has been a vocal advocate for environmental education and youth engagement, working to ensure that the next generation understands the value of preserving our natural heritage. Through her bipartisan approach and work on behalf of America’s public lands, Senator Capito exemplifies the spirit of the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award. Her efforts will ensure that national parks and public lands remain accessible and protected for generations to come.

“I’m honored to receive the 2025 Bruce Vento Public Service Award and thank the National Park Trust for recognizing my efforts. The National Park Trust does an excellent job of highlighting our public lands and encouraging people to explore them, and I’ve made that a priority in my state of West Virginia as well, through my effort redesignating the New River Gorge to a National Park and Preserve. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I will continue to highlight our country’s natural beauty and work towards solutions that keep our environment clean,” U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“Senator Capito’s leadership is a powerful reminder that conservation is not just policy—it’s legacy,” said Scott Stone, Board Chair of the National Park Trust. “From protecting the New River Gorge to expanding access and opportunity for youth, her work demonstrates that stewardship of our public lands is a responsibility we all share. We are proud to honor her with the 25th Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award.”

National Park Trust established the Bruce F. Vento Public Service Award in 2001 to honor the memory and legacy of Bruce F. Vento, a twelve-term Minnesota congressman and former chair of the National Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. As a dedicated environmentalist, Vento championed more than 300 bills protecting our nation’s public lands and water.

“As the National Park Trust celebrates the 25th anniversary of this award, I am delighted to participate in applauding & thanking Senator Capito for her leadership to protect and preserve our national parks, trails, historic sites & our environment, all of which make our nation, America the Beautiful,” said Sue Vento, National Park Trust Advisory Board Member.

Past recipients include:

• Sen. Angus S. King, Jr. (ME)
• Rep. Diana DeGette (CO)
• Rep. Fred Upton (MI)
• Sen. Patty Murray (WA)
• Sen. Maize Hirono (HI)
• Sen. Richard Burr (NC)
• Sen. Martin Heinrich (NM)
• Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN)
• Rep. Betty McCollum (MN)
• Sen. Rob Portman (OH)
• Sen. Ron Wyden (OR)
• Rep. Mike Simpson (ID)
• Sen. Jeff Bingaman (NM)
• Sen. Susan Collins (ME)
• Sen. Mark Udall (CO)
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA)
• Sen. Harry Reid (NV)
• Rep. George Miller (CA)
• Sen. John McCain (AZ)
• Sen. Bob Graham (FL)
• Rep. John Lewis (GA)
• Rep. Connie Morella (MD)

All proceeds from the Vento Award event benefit the Park Trust’s mission and programs.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 55 national park sites across the country. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison, College Ambassador and Military Family Programs, and National Kids to Parks Day, serve tens of thousands of children annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.

Media Contact: Ivan Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org