In addition to Yamaha’s financial support from its involvement with the OHV Access Initiative, 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.

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.   

For more information about Yamaha, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.