Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative Steadfast in Public Land Conservation

Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) program continues building meaningful partnerships with lea-ding local and national outdoor recreation and land stewardship organizations across the U.S. with recent grants from the first half of 2020.

Yamaha’s latest OAI grants support a wide range of outdoor recreation projects, from OHV staging area maintenance and infrastructure development, to trail rehabilitation, signage, and mapping. National col-laborations focus largely on land stewardship programs and outdoor recreation education, promoting the benefits and diversity of outdoor experiences to families and youth across the country. 

“Mirroring the goals of Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative, the recent passing of The Great American Outdoor Act will help public land managers across the country tackle the enormous backlog of necessary maintenance and conservation projects, allowing everyone to continue enjoying our nation’s lands,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports Marketing Manager. “Yamaha OAI funds can extend and accelerate the effort in restoring America’s lands, supporting safe and sustainable outdoor recreation and access for all. Work-ready community or outdoor enthusiast organizations with an interest in land stewardship for outdoor recreation are encouraged to reach out to us for help.”

The first and second quarter 2020 Yamaha OAI grants totaling more than $155,000 were awarded to the following organizations:

• The Great Outdoors Fund, Washington, D.C. (Kisatchi National Forest, LA)
• North Country ATV, New Stratford, NH
• Indian Creek Valley ATV Club, Indian Head, PA
• Lake County Department of Forestry, Lake County, MN
• National Hunting and Fishing Day
• Northwest Motorcycle Association, Washington State
• Ravalli County Off Road User Association (RCORUA), Hamilton, MT
• Ride with Respect, Moab, UT
• Southern California Mountain Foundation, San Bernardino, CA
• TreadLightly!, Inc., Centerville, UT
• Upper Peninsula Recreational Off-Road ATV Riders, Kingsford, MI

For more than 10 years now, Yamaha has been issuing quarterly grants to non-profit organizations suppor-ting the program’s mission. To date, the program has contributed more than $4.25 million in aid to more than 370 projects across the nation. Yamaha’s OAI-supported efforts work to improve access to public land for outdoor activities including riding, hiking, biking, camping, hunting, fishing, and motorized recreation.

**Images shown here are from the previous OAI activities held prior to COVID-19 and social distancing protocols.