Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative Awards Over $86,000 in 2nd Quarter

Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announced it is awarding more than $86,000 to five organizations as part of its pledge to fund up to $500,000 in Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) grants in 2019. Supporting the company’s commitment toward deploying essential resources to those meeting the challenges of accessing public lands for outdoor recreation, Yamaha encourages outdoor enthusiast groups and land stewardship organizations to apply for funding at YamahaOAI.com.

For more than 10 years, Yamaha’s industry-leading 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 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 a Yamaha OAI grant often have a strong stewardship component, as well as an inclusive community of users working together, ensuring all types of outdoor recreationists can access public land sustainably and safely. For 2019, Yamaha OAI is pledging up to $500,000 in advancing land-access efforts.

“There are so many outdoor recreation organizations needing assistance in their work to protect, restore, and improve access to public land,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s motorsports marketing manager. “With pledging up to $500,000 in 2019, we want all of those fighting for access to know Yamaha is here to help and we’re committed to ensuring public lands are available to everyone.”

Yamaha is awarding more than $86,000 in the current funding cycle to support efforts protecting and improving admittance to public land and educating the public on its safe, sustainable recreational use by all. The second quarter OAI grant recipients received Yamaha’s support for projects with a variety of benefits to outdoor enthusiasts, including restoring entry-to-land ravaged by recent wildfires, ensuring visitors have adequate information to access public land safely and responsibly and making improvements to the popular recreation sites.

Grants were awarded to the following organizations in this latest funding cycle:

Arizona State Association of 4-Wheel Drive
Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance (PWORA)
Save the Rider’s Dunes
Southern California Mountain Foundation
The Great Outdoors Fund

Link: Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.