Yamaha Pledges Up To $500,000 in 2019 to Protect Outdoor Recreation

Yamaha MotorsportsMARIETTA, Ga. – July 22, 2019 – Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, is pledging up to $500,000 in Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) grant funds for 2019 to support ventures protecting outdoor recreation. Yamaha is actively seeking organizations who can utilize the available funds, and encourages interested parties to learn more about the program at YamahaOAI.com.

As part of this effort, Yamaha awarded more than $130,000 in funding and equipment to 13 organizations in the current funding cycle, including Wonders of Wildlife’s National Hunting and Fishing Day and various 4-H Foundation chapters, to support efforts protecting and improving access to public land, and educating the public on its safe, sustainable recreational use by all.

“The government shutdown earlier this year put admittance to many public lands and recreational opportunities further at risk, yet thanks to the incredible support of grassroots organizations across the country, many of these properties have remained open for everyone to enjoy,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha motorsports group marketing manager. “The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has been committed to supporting and protecting outdoor recreation for over a decade by providing resources to make a difference in the quality and sustainability of access to our nation’s public land.”

For more than 10 years, the Yamaha OAI program has contributed nearly $4 million in funding and equipment to more than 300 deserving grant recipients across the country. Yamaha continues to seek out OAI grant recipients for projects from ATV, Side-by-Side, motorcycle, snowmobile, and outdoor enthusiasts and associations – all of whom share the common need for land access to enjoy their lifestyle. Projects receiving grants often have a strong stewardship component, as well as an inclusive community of users working together, ensuring all types of outdoor recreationists can enter public land sustainably and safely.

The following grant recipients received funding this past cycle to organize projects including trail construction and maintenance, the building of public restrooms and outdoor facilities, off-road riding safety courses, and national events to encourage and support outdoor recreation. The latest Yamaha OAI grant recipients are:

·       Marion County 4H Association – Ocala, Florida
·       Mississippi State University Extension 4-H – Mississippi State, Mississippi
·       National Hunting and Fishing Day
·       Off-Road Riders Association, Black Hills National Forest – Rapid City, South Dakota
·       Oregon Department of Forestry, Tillamook State Forest – Tillamook, Oregon
·       Over the Hills Gang ATV Club – Outing, Minnesota
·       Schoolcraft County Motorized Trail Association – Manistique, Michigan
·       Southern Trail Advocates and Riders – Jamestown, South Carolina
·       Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation – Columbus, Ohio
·       Stillwater Trail Riders – Stillwater, Oklahoma
·       Toledo Trail Riders – Swanton, Ohio
·       Yakima Valley Dust Dodgers Motorcycle Club – Yakima, Washington
·       Your Forests Your Future/Salmon Valley Stewardship – Jackson, Wyoming

For further information on Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative program, or to submit a grant application, visit YamahaOAI.com. Follow Yamaha Outdoors on social at Facebook.com/YamahaOutdoorsInstagram.com/YamahaOutdoors, and Twitter.com/YamahaOutdoors. Additionally, find Yamaha Outdoors on YouTube, or search the following hashtags on all platforms:  #Yamaha #YamahaOAI #REALizeYourAdventure #ProvenOffRoad #AssembledInUSA

About the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative

For more than a decade, the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has led the powersports industry in guaranteeing responsible access to our nation’s land for outdoor enthusiasts. Through this program, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supported thousands of miles of motorized recreation trails, maintained and rehabilitated riding and hunting areas, improved staging areas, supplied agricultural organizations with essential OHV safety education, built bridges over fish-bearing streams and partnered with local outdoor enthusiast communities across the country to improve access to public lands. Each quarter, Yamaha accepts applications from nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations including OHV riding clubs and associations, national, state and local public land use agencies, outdoor enthusiast associations and land conservation groups with an interest in protecting, improving, expanding and/or maintaining access for safe, responsible and sustainable public use. A committee then reviews each application and awards grants to deserving projects. Examples of appropriate projects for grants include, but are not limited to:

•      Trail development, restoration and maintenance•      Trail signage and map production
•      Staging area construction, renovation and maintenance
•      Land stewardship, safety and education

Updated guidelines, an application form, and information on the Outdoor Access Initiative are available at YamahaOAI.com. For specific questions about the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, call the dedicated hotline at 1-877-OHV-TRAIL (877-648-8724), email OHVAccess@Yamaha-Motor.com, or write to:

Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA
3065 Chastain Meadows Parkway, Bldg. 100
Marietta, GA 30066

About Yamaha Motor Corp., USA

Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the powersports industry. The company’s ever
expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, WaveRunner Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars, Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States. YMUS has a corporate office in California, two corporate offices in Georgia, facilities in Wisconsin and Alabama, and factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company (YMSC) with divisions Bennett Marine (Florida) and Kracor Systems (Wisconsin), Skeeter Boats (Texas), with division G3 Boats (Missouri), and Yamaha Precision Propeller (Indiana).

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ATVs over 90cc are recommended for use only by riders 16 years and older.
SxS Vehicles are recommended for use only by licensed drivers 16 years and older.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Scott Newby
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA
770-420-6078
Scott_Newby@Yamaha-Motor.com