Cypress, Calif. - Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., has announced it is the recipient of a 2013 Outstanding Contribution Award from the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC) in recognition of the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative's significant, sustained service to increasing and protecting access to OHV trails and riding areas across the country.
The NOHVCC honored Yamaha's Access Initiative at the 32nd annual NOHVCC conference in Orlando, FL, last week. During the award ceremony, the NOHVCC acknowledged the many accomplishments achieved by the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative since its GRANT (Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation's Trails) program was created more than five years ago. To date, more than 200 GRANTs and $2 million in funding and equipment have been contributed by Yamaha in pursuit of the program's mission to promote safe, responsible riding and open, sustainable riding areas.
"Yamaha is honored to receive this award from the National OHV Conservation Council on behalf of all of our GRANT recipients nationwide and in recognition of the great work we've done together the past five years," Mike Martinez, vice president, Yamaha ATV and SxS division, said. "The shared dedication to responsible motorized recreation is essential to the success of the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative as well as the OHV community nationwide. This award serves as important validation of our mission to support the people and projects that create OHV access to trails and riding areas."
Also recognized at the NOHVCC Conference was 2013 GRANT recipient Vermont ATV Sportsmen Association (VASA) as the 2013 NOHVCC Club of the Year.
"Yamaha applauds the efforts of VASA and its members, who worked tirelessly to restore their trail system damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012," Steve Nessl, marketing manager for Yamaha's ATV and SxS division, said. "By reaching out to Yamaha and NOHVCC for partnerships and resources, they were able to ensure a safe and sustainable future for OHV riding in their community. VASA is a great working example of our mission to protect riding opportunities for everyone."
Yamaha is actively seeking qualified projects at local, state and federal levels. The current OHV Access Initiative GRANT application form and guidelines are available online at www.yamahaohvaccess.com.
About the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative
The Yamaha OHV Access Initiative is the industry leader in Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation's Trails (GRANTs). Through this program, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supported thousands of miles of trails, maintained and rehabilitated countless riding areas, improved staging areas, built bridges over fish-bearing streams and partnered with local riding communities across the country to improve the OHV experience. Each quarter, Yamaha accepts applications from non-profit or tax-exempt organizations including OHV riding clubs and associations, national, state and local public land use agencies and other members of the OHV community in the United States. 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, trail safety and education
Updated guidelines, an application form and information on the OHV Access Initiative are available here. For specific questions about the OHV Access Initiative, call Yamaha's dedicated OHV Access Initiative Hotline at (877) OHV-TRAIL (877-648-8724), e-mail OHVAccess@yamaha-motor.com or write to: Yamaha OHV Access Initiative Review Committee, 6555 Katella Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630-5101.
