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.