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Active Stream and Wetland Restoration at Diablo Foothills Open Space Preserve

If you’ve traveled east to Los Banos, then chances are you’ve driven the narrow Highway 152. In 2014, Caltrans completed a big task to widen the highway to include an additional 2 lanes in certain sections. In order to complete the project, Caltrans committed to mitigating for the loss of riparian habitat during construction and the Open Space Authority’s Diablo Foothills Open Space Preserve was the perfect location. 

A Grazing Management Strategy is Key to Promoting Native Biodiversity

The Open Space Authority uses cattle grazing as a management tool to enhance the native biodiversity of California’s rare grasslands and oak savannas that support many native plants and animals, including endangered species. Grasslands have become rare due to development, and the remaining protected grasslands are under threat from invasive plant species. Invasive plants outcompete native plants for resources and suppressing natural wildfires have caused many shrubs and trees to establish themselves in grasslands. In the absence of fire or grazing, litter accumulates on the soil and can become fuel for extreme fires.

Blazing Trails in More Ways Than One: Climate Change and Transparency at Forefront

The Little Hoover Commission, formed in 1962 to oversee California’s special districts, recently released a report that led to several recommendations meant to improve service to local communities. Climate change adaptation and transparency were two areas of focus where the Open Space Authority already exceeded the recommendations.

Google’s San Jose village plan seeks success where Coyote Valley project fizzled

Authored by George Avalos and published in The Mercury News November 11, 2017. Photo by LiPo Ching.

SAN JOSE — Thirty-five years ago, San Jose agreed to move forward with an ambitious plan to build a massive technology campus, aiming to ease traffic jams by offering reverse commutes for employees living in burgeoning nearby communities.

The project promised to bring thousands of jobs. It would have built a transit link as well, with access to rail for the workers who opted out of commuting by car.

 It may sound eerily similar to Google’s proposed transit village, but San Jose’s past effort to build a huge tech campus in Coyote Valley — far from the downtown core — never got off the ground, despite many attempts to resurrect it from the ash heap of history.

Open Space Authority Becomes First Public Agency to Receive Land Trust Accreditation

Last week, at a national meeting of conservationists in Denver, Colorado, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority was recognized for doing something no other public agency has before – becoming the first public agency in the nation to receive land trust accreditation.

A Stepping Stone for Conservation in Coyote Valley

With the Open Space Authority’s recent Coyote Valley Landscape Linkage report, the valley has been top of mind for many conservation organizations. Bringing us a step closer to realizing the report's vision, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has purchased the Ramke property near Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. Each open space acquisition serves as a stepping stone for conservation in implementing the Linkage vision. The property will be transferred to the Authority to become part of the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve.

National At-Risk Landscapes: Coyote Valley makes the list

According to a new report, Coyote Valley is one of the nation’s most at-risk landscapes, due to the continuing threat of development. The 2017 Landslide Report: Open Season on Open Space was compiled by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting people to places and encouraging stewardship of public lands and culturally significant spaces. Coyote Valley was one of thirteen different threatened places featured from coast to coast.

Urban Open Space Nature Hub Opens - Bill's Backyard: Bridge to Nature

On October 29, a brand new way to experience nature opened in the heart of downtown San Jose.  The Children’s Discovery Museum launched Bill’s Backyard: Bridge to Nature, a half acre outdoor play space that gives kids the chance to explore the outdoors by climbing, building, digging and get their hands dirty in a safe and authentic way.

Youth Stewards Volunteer at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

On October 11, the Open Space Authority hosted students from San Jose's Harker Academy at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. More than 200 high school freshman students and staff came out, making it the biggest volunteer Land Steward service day in Authority history. The Harker volunteers gathered to hear San Jose City Councilmember Chappie Jones speak about the importance of protecting the environment, and then worked on trail maintenance, removing non-native mustard plants along the Arrowhead Trail.

Open Space Authority Kicks Off Second Annual Measure Q Urban Open Space Grant Program

Open Space Authority Kicks Off Second Annual Measure Q Urban Open Space Grant Program
Grant application deadline is January 12, 2018

San Jose, CA - November 1, 2017: The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is kicking off its Second Annual Measure Q Urban Open Space Grant Program, designed to connect more people throughout its jurisdiction with the many benefits of nature. This competitive grant program is funded by Measure Q and provides funding for projects in one or more of these categories:

- Environmental Stewardship and Restoration
- Parks, Trails, and Public Access
- Environmental Education
- Urban Agriculture/Food Systems