Yamaha Motor Corp., USA , employees returned to the San Bernardino National Forest  to volunteer their time in support of projects aiding the fire-damaged OHV trails within the Trestles / Baldy Mesa OHV staging area. Working with members of the Southern California Mountains Foundation (SCMF) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the effort continued a nearly ten-year tradition of Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative volunteer projects in one of the nation’s most frequently visited forests.
The popular Trestles / Baldy Mesa OHV staging area and surrounding trails have been closed since wildfires severely damaged the area last year. In an effort to help reopen recreational opportunities as soon as possible, more than 60 volunteers, including Yamaha employees, their friends and family members, contributed more than 300 hours of volunteer service. The day’s habitat rehabilitation and erosion mitigation project included planting 300 local florae, trenching several straw wattles, in addition to slashing and removing tracks on non-designated trails.
“We had another great volunteer project with our friends at the Southern California Mountains Foundation and U.S. Forest Service, and our volunteers did some great work to help improve the local off-road riding areas,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group marketing manager. “Yamaha is dedicated to supporting sustainable access to public lands like the San Bernardino National Forest. And we don’t just say it – our employees, as well as their families and friends are investing their personal time and sweat to support this mission, because they believe it and live it.”
Yamaha volunteers have now participated in nine restoration projects over the last ten years within the San Bernardino National Forest. Past work includes projects in and around the Pinnacles, Cactus Flats, Big Pine Flats, and Coxey Meadows areas, planting more than 4,000 native seedlings and restoring and maintaining the OHV trails and trailheads.
“Yamaha Motor Corporation has been our partner for the past decade and has helped us accomplish numerous restoration projects on the San Bernardino National Forest. This project supports the development of new 50-inch trails in the Baldy Mesa area. Restoration and maintenance are a large part of what it takes to make these projects possible. Long term commitment to OHV land stewardship, education and safety through their Access Initiative program has helped us fulfill our mission of educating people to recreate responsibly,” said Stacy Gorin, executive director of the Southern California Mountains Foundation.
For more information on the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, or to submit a grant application for similar projects, visit www.YamahaOAI.com .
