Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative and Recreate Responsibly Coalition Partner to Ensure Access to Public Lands for Outdoor Recreation
Collaborative Awareness Campaign Hits on the Need for Stewardship Among Public Land Visitors, Providing Support for Projects via the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, today announces the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) and the Recreate Responsibly Coalition (RRC) established a strategic partnership to spread awareness of the need for land stewardship among all types of visitors to public lands. By promoting responsible recreation practices and the safe and sustainable use of trails, the partnership works to further the aligned missions of both organizations. A priority for the collaboration is to increase awareness of the availability of funding and support for public land access projects through the Yamaha OAI. As the Powersports industry’s leading land-access program, the Yamaha OAI remains an essential resource to grassroots efforts of riding clubs, land stewardship organizations, and public land managers across the country.
The pandemic made getting outdoors a priority for more people than ever before, putting pressure on the maintenance of public land to ensure everyone’s safety. Without action, public lands can become unsustainable, and access limited. The Yamaha OAI and Recreate Responsibly believe everyone has a responsibility to sustain the outdoor spaces we enjoy and can contribute by understanding their potential impacts in natural spaces and surrounding communities.
“Public lands are America’s gateway to fun and adventure in the great outdoors. Visitors play an important role in their protection and preservation. Recreate Responsibly and the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative are working together to educate and raise awareness of responsible use of trails and open spaces for motorized and outdoor recreation,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports marketing manager. “The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative was created specifically to help those who see the need to protect or expand access to public land and need some support to get it done. By working with Recreate Responsibly, we hope more people take advantage of our resources by applying for a grant.”
Part of the collaborative effort will raise funds for the Recreate Responsibly Coalition to bolster its focus on safe, accessible, inclusive, and responsible outdoor recreation. People posting pictures to social media platforms featuring their visits to public lands can simply tag @Recreate.Responsibly and @YamahaOutdoors on Instagram or @RecreateInfo and @YamahaOutdoors on Twitter, and the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative will donate $5, up to $50,000, to RRC and help maintain access to the beauty and wonder of nature for everyone.
“This campaign with the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative marks the first strategic partnership for the Recreate Responsibly Coalition, and it makes perfect sense; to work collaboratively to get grant resources to grassroots’ stewardship efforts, while reaching a broader audience with responsible recreation messaging; it aligns perfectly with everything the coalition has built towards since its inception early on in the pandemic,” said Eugenie Bostrom, founder of Embracing the Bear Consulting, managing agency, Recreate Responsibly Coalition.
About the Recreate Responsibly Coalition
The Recreate Responsibly Coalition aspires for everyone to have a holistic outdoor experience by advancing all aspects of responsible recreation: keeping yourself, others, and outdoor places safe; accessing outdoor benefits essential to the human experience; and building an outdoors for all through justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The RRC is an active coalition of more than 1,300 businesses, agencies, nonprofits, and influential voices who are working together to help everyone experience the benefits of nature. Born out of a desire to see people enjoy the outdoors safely at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our diverse community has grown into a collaborative hub; working to share common-sense guidance about getting outside responsibly and to foster an equitable outdoor community.
About the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
For more than 12 years, Yamaha led the Powersports industry in guaranteeing responsible access to our nation’s land for outdoor enthusiasts. Yamaha has contributed more than $4.5 million in aid to nearly 400 projects across the nation over the life of the program, supporting 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
Submission guidelines, application form, information and news about 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) or email OHVAccess@Yamaha-Motor.com. Connect with Yamaha on social media via @YamahaOutdoors or search any of the following hashtags on all platforms: #Yamaha #YamahaOAI #REALizeYourAdventure #ProvenOffRoad #AssembledInUSA
