Yamaha OAI celebrates National Public Lands Day
Through its Outdoor Access Initiative, Yamaha employees gathered at key off-highway vehicle recreation sites in California and Georgia to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 27.
This is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands, where thousands of volunteers come together to restore and preserve public lands and waters.
In California, 40 Yamaha employees met at the Pinnacles OHV staging area in the San Bernardino National Forest. Yamaha staff in Georgia were among the 20 volunteers at the Houston Valley OHV trail system on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. The Yamaha team worked alongside U.S. Forest Service personnel and local trail organizations, including the Southern California Mountains Foundation and the Georgia Recreational Trail Riders Association, to complete essential conservation and facility improvement projects.
“The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has invested more than $8 million in over 550 projects over the past 18 years, but our commitment goes beyond funding,” — Steve Nessl, Yamaha Motorsports marketing director.
“Our National Public Lands Day volunteer efforts demonstrate how Yamaha employees are personally invested in protecting access and promoting responsible recreation across America’s public lands.”
Project accomplishments
During the OAI-organized volunteer days, Yamaha employees completed vital conservation and facility improvement projects:
- Planted 90 native grasses and 30 cacti to restore natural habitat and prevent erosion
- Mulched and irrigated to help establish the new plantings
- Revitalized recreation facilities through painting restroom facilities and trash receptacles
- Repaired fencing to protect sensitive areas and maintain trail boundaries
- Cleared trails of encroaching vegetation and fallen tree limbs
- Tackled trail surface rehabilitation and erosion control
- Performed maintenance and repair on trail signs to improve wayfinding and safety
National Public Lands Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in September, with an aim to protect, improve, expand, and maintain access for safe, responsible, and sustainable public land use.
