National Conservation Legacy Center to Feature Recreation Exhibit Promoting Safe, Responsible Motorized Recreation in Support of Access to Public Land

 Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, announced it will be the exclusive motorized recreation sponsor of the Recreation exhibit at the National Conservation Legacy Center (“Center”) of the National Museum of Forest Service History (Museum) through a grant from the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (Yamaha OAI). The Recreation exhibit will focus on the many aspects of outdoor recreation along with its value to and reliance on land stewardship and conservation efforts to protect access to public lands.

“User education is fundamental to securing access to public land for outdoor and motorized recreation and this opportunity at the National Conservation Legacy Center is a compelling example of the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative mission,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s Motorsports marketing manager. “The National Conservation Legacy Center’s recreation exhibit is a creative, educational experience, and Yamaha’s support further demonstrates the OHV community’s commitment to a sustainable future of outdoor recreation for all types of users.”

With motorized recreation featured along with other recreation opportunities on public lands, the exhibit will be designed as an intuitive and interactive educational presentation led through personal storytelling to ignite visitors’ curiosity about outdoor recreation, illustrating the importance of responsible motorized recreation in land stewardship in a memorable and engaging way. Combining leading museum education science technology with the Museum’s extensive Collection of objects representing America’s unique commitment to public land, visitors will leave the Center informed and inspired with a renewed understanding of their personal connection to our country’s rich heritage in the outdoors.

Located in Missoula, MT, surrounded by some of the country’s most notable public lands, the Center is expected to open in Fall 2025. With the Yamaha OAI grant, Yamaha becomes a major sponsor of the Recreation exhibit for 10 years.

“As a leader in creating, defending and improving access to land for outdoor and motorized recreation, Yamaha was a natural partner for the National Conservancy Legacy Center to help us tell the stories of public land users,” said Lisa Tate, Museum Executive Director. “Our long-term goals for this partnership are to evolve and enhance the experience of our visitors with fresh and different perspectives from outdoor recreation to further our mission of education and appreciation of our country’s precious land resources.”

About the National Museum of Forest Service History

For more than 100 years, the Forest Service and its many partners have stood at the forefront of conservation in America, yet there has never been one central Repository for the collection of historic conservation artifacts, nor a national museum in which to tell those conservation history stories. In 2023, the Museum announced the expansion of its facility in Missoula, Montana, with its flagship, the National Conservation Legacy Center.

The Museum, a 501 C3 nonprofit organization founded in 1988 and independent of the US Forest Service, is dedicated to sharing the rich history and story of America’s conservation legacy. At the Center, the Museum will carry out this mission and pursue its vision for national conservation education and historic preservation. As a showcase for a Collection totaling more than 50,000 objects, photographs, documents, books and equipment, the Center will encourage visitors to explore the cultural, ecological, economic, political, and social history of the lands and people that have defined the nation and given meaning to the term conservation.

About the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative

Since 2008, the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative has led the powersports industry in supporting responsible access to our nation’s public lands for outdoor enthusiasts. With more than $6 million contributed to over 470 projects across the country, Yamaha has directly and indirectly supported thousands of miles of motorized recreation trails, maintained and rehabilitated riding and hunting areas, improved staging areas, supplied organizations with essential OHV safety education, built bridges over fish-bearing streams, helped children learn to ride bicycles, 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 and cycling 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.

For updated guidelines, the application form, and the latest Outdoor Access Initiative news, please visit YamahaOAI.com. If you have specific inquiries about the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, you can reach the dedicated hotline at 1-877-OHV-TRAIL (877-648-8724), email OHVAccess@Yamaha-Motor.com, or send correspondence to:

Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative
3065 Chastain Meadows Parkway, Bldg. 100
Marietta, GA 30066