|
More
than 60 Yamaha employees volunteered over
200 work hours to help improve and restore
the popular Cactus Flats staging area
near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino
National Forest |
Cypress, CA (10/20/2011) - Yamaha
Motor Corp., U.S.A., has taken a leading role
in supporting safe, responsible riding and open,
sustainable riding areas by GRANTing nearly $2
million through its OHV Access Initiative since
2008. This financial support has proven critical
in areas such as building bridges over fish-baring
streams, improving thousands of miles of trails,
and renovating staging areas.
In addition to financial support from the OHV
Access Initiative, Yamaha employees out of the
company’s Cypress, Calif., headquarters
have taken on a personal obligation to support
this mission as well.
Earlier this October, more than 60 employees,
family members and friends convened in the San
Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) volunteering
more than 200 work hours and kicking off a long-term
restoration project at the popular Cactus Flats
staging area near Big Bear Lake. Volunteers
reached some initial restoration goals through
weeding, grubbing, seed collecting, planting
native shrubs, watering and other important
clean-up projects.
“It’s exciting to see so many Yamaha
employees volunteer their weekend and get their
hands dirty in support of our local mountains
and OHV areas,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha
ATV and SxS group marketing manager, who participated
in the volunteer project and helps spearhead
the OHV Access Initiative. “The San Bernardino
National Forest Association has a model OHV
program that garners thousands of volunteer
hours every year. We’re happy to do our
small part for our local trails, and we encourage
OHV enthusiasts across the country to continue
to keep their riding areas safe and sustainable,
as well as look to our OHV program for support.”
The weekend’s activities were hosted by
the Yamaha ATV/SxS Group, as part of the OHV
Access Initiative, and in conjunction with the
San Bernardino National Forest Association (SBNFA),
a long time Yamaha partner and beneficiary of
the OHV Access Initiative. SBNFA staff have
helped lead past Yamaha volunteer projects in
the forest and many volunteers from its own
OHV program have helped out onsite as well.
“Yamaha’s partnership continues
to grow as do our restoration initiatives on
the San Bernardino National Forest,” said
Rick Lavello, SBNFA OHV program director. “They
set a high standard for employee teambuilding
events with enthusiasm and pride in giving back
to their local forest land and trails. The SBNFA
appreciates their commitment and hard work.”
In previous years, Yamaha employees conducted
a number of volunteer projects in this area, offering
their time and energy planting trees, clearing
brush, pulling weeds, picking up trash and generally
cleaning up riding areas and the surrounding forest.
In 2009 and 2010, close to 200 volunteers including
Yamaha employees, their family and friends, donated
approximately 1,000 hours and planted more than
3,400 trees to help reforest burn areas. This
is in addition to Yamaha’s ongoing work
on the company’s adopted and sponsored trails
in the SBNF system (downloadable maps are available
here:
http://www.nationalforestassociation.org/ohvmaps.php).
The SBNF is the mountain playground to 24 million
Southern Californians -- or 10 percent of the
nation’s population. Given its proximity
to this population base, the SBNF is an “urban”
forest and, consequently, is the most recreated
and populated national forest in the system.
More than 2.5 million people recreate annually
in the SBNF and 60,000 reside full- or part-time.
The SBNFA is seeking additional support from
corporate, community and nonprofit organizations
interested in creating a restoration event for
their employees or members to add their legacy
to a healthier and sustainable San Bernardino
National Forest. To inquire, contact Stacy Gorin,
restoration director, at 909-382-2794.
About Yamaha Motor
Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), is
a leader in the motorsports market. The company’s
ever-expanding product offerings includes ATVs
and Side-by-Side vehicle, motorcycles, outboard
motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats,
outdoor power equipment, race kart engines,
accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products
are sold through a nationwide network of dealers
in the United States.
Headquartered in Cypress,
Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha
also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia,
as well as factory operations in Tennessee and
Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit
www.yamaha-motor.com.