Nebraska City, NE – Congressman Ralph Regula, representing Ohio's 16th District, is the recipient of the National Arbor Day Foundation's highest individual honor, the 2000 J. Sterling Morton Award for exemplary conservation work at the national or international level. A special awards ceremony will be held to recognize Congressman Regula and the other individual award winners during the 28th Annual Arbor Day Awards Banquet held here on Saturday, April 29.

As chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee of the Department of the Interior in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. Regula leads a panel with jurisdiction over all public lands, including the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, along with the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Indian Affairs. He is also active in urban conservation issues, and he and his family have planted a forest of 30,000 trees on their farm in Ohio.

Others being recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation this year include The New York Restoration Project, winner of a Project Award for its work in uncovering, reclaiming and cleaning neglected public spaces throughout New York City; Huber Ridge Elementary School in Westerville, Ohio, where fifth-graders will be recognized with the Education Award for providing a worthy model in their efforts to clean a local stream near their school; and Spencer, South Dakota's Regreening Project, winner of a Celebration Award for organizing a tree planting of more than 400 trees on Arbor Day 1999.

The National Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship.