Yamaha Volunteers Improve Coxey Meadows OHV Area
Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., employees and volunteers returned to the San Bernardino National Forest in advance of National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day planting shrubs and cleaning up OHV areas for the seventh straight year alongside members of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Southern California Mountains Foundation (SCMF).
More than 40 volunteers including Yamaha employees, their friends and family members contributed more than 200 hours over a recent weekend. Their mission: Help restore and rehabilitate misused and neglected areas of Coxey Meadow, a busy family recreation area enjoyed by thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each year. Their work resulted in the planting and watering of more than 450 native shrubs including sagebrush, rabbit brush and buckwheat, and slashing activities within the 60-acre area.
“Yamaha’s partnership with the Southern California Mountains Foundation and U.S. Forest Service has produced great results improving OHV areas and access to public trails,” said Mike Martinez, Yamaha’s ATV/SxS group vice president who is an SCMF board member and has attended every one of the volunteer events. “Through the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, we’ve worked with the SCMF and USFS to create a model private-public collaboration that continues to increase safe, responsible access to popular public riding areas such as the San Bernardino National Forest.”
Yamaha’s volunteer event was part of ongoing efforts by the SCMF Urban Conservation Corps who have been working with the USFS to rehabilitate miles of unauthorized trails and promote responsible recreation.
About the Southern California Mountains Foundation
The Southern California Mountains Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is committed to three initiatives addressing conservation/restoration, environmental education and responsible recreation on Southern California public lands. Through partnerships and a strong volunteer backbone network, the SCMF brings communities of people, partners and funding resources to important projects and programming focused on health, stewardship and sustainability. Visit www.MountainsFoundation.org