Public and private funding will help restore popular campground in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana.

The Great Outdoors Fund has been awarded a grant from Yamaha’s Outdoor Access Initiative to match with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act and restore Lotus Camp, a run-down campground on the Kisatchie National Forest in Central Louisiana.

The Great Outdoors Fund was established to help public agencies address the growing gap between needs and resources by unleashing private sector capital to update and improve outdoor recreation infrastructure and increase access to our public lands and waters.

“We’re excited to facilitate a donation from Yamaha and bring a greater return on tax-payer dollars appropriated through the Great American Outdoors Act,” said Lori McCullough, Founder of The Great Outdoors Fund. “The new law encourages donations and relevant public-private partnerships which is exactly what we’ve established between Yamaha and the USDA Forest Service in order to build back Lotus Camp better than it’s been before.”

Lotus Camp is accessible from the Sandstone Trail, a multi-use trail popular with mountain bikers, horseback riders, and a variety of off-highway vehicle enthusiasts.

“For years the Forest Service has wanted to refurbish Lotus Camp and improve the conditions of this site to provide a better experience for the visitors to this Forest,” said Lisa Lewis, Forest Supervisor of the Kisatchie National Forest. “With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act we have funds to address our backlog maintenance.  Thankfully, with the support we received from The Great Outdoors Fund and the generous donation from Yamaha, now we’ll be able to install new campfire rings, picnic tables, an information kiosk, and improve the grade and drainage of the entrance road and Sandstone trail.”

“Yamaha has contributed nearly $4.5 million to support projects that create and improve Americans’ opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We are happy The Great Outdoors Fund is able to fully leverage the Outdoor Access Initiative grant and be among the first in the nation to attract funding from the Great American Outdoors Act.”

The restoration and enhancements made to Lotus Camp and the Sandstone Trail will be completed by no later than June 1, 2021.

For more information, please visit thegreatoutdoorsfund.org or visit us on Instagram at @thegreatoutdoorsfund.