Yamaha partners with Southern California Mountains Foundation
Yamaha recently joined forces with employees from the Cypress and Georgia corporate offices, volunteering at a large-scale maintenance effort on the U.S.F.S. San Bernardino, one of the nation’s most visited national forests. Alongside 50 Yamaha employees and their families and friends, members of the Southern California Mountains Foundation (SCMF) and forest service staff worked on critical maintenance projects at the popular Pinnacles OHV Staging Area to protect access to the well-traveled trails.
“The constant use of this area is fantastic as more people come to enjoy the natural spaces offered in the San Bernardino National Forest,” says Linda Stamer, partnership director of OHV and Restoration for SCMF. “However, that use often places a real burden on the land and it needs consistent care and attention to keep it safe and accessible for everyone. We are grateful to Yamaha for its support which provides resources such as the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative grants, as well as bringing its peoplepower to work here onsite. Together we get so much important work done in a short amount of time, coming together in a community of stewardship to make a positive difference for this special place.”
The group of Yamaha employees, along with family and friends, conducted critical trail maintenance, repaired and replaced fencing, worked on graffiti removal, picked up trash, weeded out and watered native plants, replaced directional signs and installed wildlife protection measures around the Pinnacles OHV Staging Area. Throughout the day, the visiting public and riding groups witnessed the immediate impact and benefits of the Yamaha employee volunteer effort.
“Ensuring public lands remain accessible is paramount to their preservation,” says Steve Nessl, marketing manager of Yamaha’s Motorsports. “Yamaha is committed to fostering a culture of outdoor exploration and inspiring others to join us in creating lasting memories. Through collaborative projects like these, we’re not only enhancing our public spaces but also safeguarding them for future generations. Our longstanding partnership with the Southern California Mountains Foundation reflects our dedication to this cause, and we take great pride in the collective impact of our ongoing efforts over the past 15 years.”
Through grants from the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI), the Southern California Mountains Foundation has received more than $120,000 to help sustain the organization’s OHV program, trail volunteer efforts, trail mapping and improvement projects at OHV staging areas throughout the region.
The Yamaha OAI program encourages riding clubs, land stewardship associations and public land managers to work together with Yamaha dealers to identify projects and apply for support. The application deadline for consideration in the second quarter of the 2024 funding cycle is June 30, 2024.
