News!

Open Space Authority Preserves First Redwood Property, Gifted by McPhee Family

The Julian McPhee family donated a 112-acre property adjacent to Uvas Canyon County Park in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. The Authority's Board of Directors previously voted to accept the gift, which will be the Authority's first acquisition that permanently protects part of a majestic redwood forest.

Burrowing Owls Need Open Space

Protecting open spaces and grasslands is important to all of us, but for some local wildlife, it’s a matter of life or death.

New Funding to Support Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve Habitat Restoration and Preservation Projects

New grazing improvements and habitat conservation protections are coming to Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, thanks to a large federal grant awarded to the Open Space Authority.

Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan Adopted

Many may not be aware that Santa Clara County still has 24,000 acres of farmland that generates 8,100 jobs and $830 million in economic output. However, in the past 30 years alone, the County lost 21,171 acres of farmland and rangeland to development and an additional 28,391 acres are currently at risk of being developed. If we lose more of our farmland, it would not only diminish our local food source, but also result in a loss of the iconic rural character of Santa Clara Valley, the loss of important jobs and farms central to our agricultural economy, and would generate significant greenhouse gas emissions.

Thankful for Partnerships

The Open Space Authority is a small agency with a big mission and we need to work with like-minded organizations to accomplish our goals. In 2017 the Authority is proud to have increased our work with community partners to conserve land, restore landscapes, connect people to nature, and sustain our natural resources for future generations.

The Critical Pathway for Wildlife

The Open Space Authority is excited to share updates in the quest to protect the Coyote Valley wildlife linkage between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range. The Authority and its partners at the Wilmers Lab at UC Santa Cruz, Peninsula Open Space Trust, and Pathways for Wildlife, started the Bobcat and Gray Fox Connectivity Study last spring and are wrapping up the final field season now with a total of 22 bobcats collared so far! Fitting the bobcats with advanced GPS-collars is generating fine-scale movement data and information that will be vital to informing planners on how these animals are moving in Coyote Valley.

25th Anniversary Year Kicks Off

The Open Space Authority is kicking off its 25^th Anniversary Year in 2018! The Authority began in 1993 as a grassroots effort by citizen activists wanting to protect Santa Clara Valley’s important natural resources. We started as a small agency with an important role to play and have since grown into a diverse organization with greater capacity to make progress on our mission of conserving the natural environment, supporting agriculture, and connecting people to nature. Measure Q has provided further opportunity to fulfill our mission by enabling us to expand public access to nature in and around our urban communities, increase our environmental education programming, and help us maintain our open space preserves for public enjoyment.

Wet Weather & Winter OUTDOOR Tips

Rain brings new growth, running streams, creeks and salamanders, but with a changing climate it can also bring flooding – leading to slippery conditions out on the trails.  

With longer, hotter periods of drought throughout the year, soils deteriorate, decreasing their ability to absorb water. Pair this with the shorter, heavier periods of rain during the rainy season, and the result is more severe flooding events. Open spaces like those throughout the Santa Clara Valley serve as a critical buffer to surrounding communities, reducing residential flood risk and promoting a healthy watershed.   

As these open spaces get slippery and muddy during the winter, it’s important to exercise caution when hitting the trail. Here are some tips to help you navigate nature during wet winter weather: 

Open Space Authority Approves Measure Q Environmental Education Grant Program

San Jose, CA - December 18, 2017: The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's Board of Directors approved a new Measure Q Environmental Education Grant Program designed to advance environmental literacy and nature-oriented experiences for children, adults, and families free of charge. This competitive grant program is funded by Measure Q, a voter-approved Open Space funding measure and invites proposals for nature and science-based environmental education programs and youth engagement projects in one or more of these categories:

Calaveras Fault Trail Status Update

Due to the closure of Alum Rock Falls Road after the severe February, 2017 storms, the Open Space Authority acted as a good neighbor to allow short-term vehicular access to residents of Alum Rock Falls Road across the Calaveras Fault Trail in the eastern portion of Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. Without this access, the residents would have no other means to access their homes.