Since 2008, Yamaha has been spending big to support public land for recreation via their Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI). Finishing up 2021 with grants totaling $600,000 brings their contributions to the outdoor recreation community to over $5 million. This money goes to local and national organizations working to preserve and improve access to public land and fostering partnerships between those seeking outdoor activities and land managers, delivering much-needed funds for safe, responsible recreation in the process.
Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports marketing manager offered this perspective as the final 2021 grants were awarded: “The surge in outdoor recreation is both gratifying and daunting. While we love to see families enjoying time spent outside, it amplifies the need to work together to preserve and protect the land so we can appreciate it today and in the future. “Considering the uptick in use and resulting attention and resources our nation’s public spaces require, we are proud to approve thirty new Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative grants in 2021 – the most we’ve awarded in one year since 2009.”
From inception, Yamaha OAI has selected projects with the highest potential of providing recreationists with increased and improved opportunities to enjoy America’s public lands. In the latest funding rounds, the organizations awarded for support include both national and local footprints with diverse communities and interests to create a comprehensive approach to advocacy for access to public land for outdoor recreation.
Fred Wiley, president and CEO of the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) said, “We’ve worked with Yamaha and their Outdoor Access Initiative for more than a decade. Together in that timeframe, we’ve launched our One Voice program and matched numerous riding groups with public land managers to establish formal partnerships mutually benefitting everyone’s interests in access to land.” He also praised Yamaha for leading the way: “Yamaha has a tradition of stepping into leadership roles to support the off-road riding community and ensure opportunities to ride safely and responsibly exist for generations to come.”
ORBA and these organizations received third quarter Yamaha OAI grants in 2021:
- Future School of Fort Smith (Fort Smith, AR)
- Lakeland ATV Club (Minocqua, WI)
- Nevada Outdoor School (Winnemucca, NV)
- The Great Outdoors Fund (National)
The list for 2021 fourth-quarter Yamaha OAI grants is even longer:
- City of Caribou (Aroostook County, ME)
- University Medical Center of El Paso (Texas)
- Motorcycle Riders Association (Medford, OR)
- National Forest Foundation (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Pathfinders Motorcycle Club of Connecticut (Thompson, CT)
- San Diego Off-Road Coalition (Calif.)
- Three Rivers Land Trust (Salisbury, NC)
- Wild Rivers Coast Mountain Bicycling Association (Coos Bay, OR)
Pause for a moment to note the diversity of organizations—from a medical center to a mountain bike group and a land trust, they span a wide range of outdoor recreation interests.
Since 2008, the Yamaha’s OAI has led the Powersports industry in supporting responsible access to our nation’s public lands. By contributing to 400 projects across the country, Yamaha has 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 groups 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.
Got a project in mind for your area? The application deadline for the first quarter of 2022 funding cycle is March 31, 2022, the second quarter deadline is June 30, 2022. You can check out the submission guidelines and find an application for Yamaha OAI grants at YamahaOAI.com. For specific questions about the initiative, call their 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
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