Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority News (38)

Protecting Nature’s Benefits: The Importance of Wildlands and Natural Areas

Message from Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager

Valuing Open Space—Preserving Land is No Frivolous Luxury

by Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager
Published in the San Jose Mercury News on June 13, 2014

New Property on Coyote Ridge!

The Open Space Authority has acquired parcels totaling 28.45 acres of open space land on Malech Road in the Upper Coyote Valley Area in Santa Clara County. The property is characterized by rare serpentine grassland, rock outcrops and Blue Oak Savanna. The site also contains a perennial spring and a tributary to Coyote Creek, a steelhead stream. A three-acre portion of the site offers potential for public access, environmental education and staging opportunities for a future Open Space Preserve.

The Tiniest Patients

Amy Yee, President of the Board of Directors, Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center

How do you care for an avian patient no bigger than your little fingernail? The patient has no feathers, requires a special formula every 15 minutes from dawn to dusk and a consistently warm temperature?

Key Land Purchase Expands Open Space Authority Preserve in Southern Santa Clara County

On October 11th, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Board of Directors gave final approval to acquiring 120-acres on Canada Road in southern Santa Clara County. The property, owned by Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, is adjacent to the southerly border of the Authority’s 702-acre property purchased in 2007, which will be enlarged to create a 822-acre open space preserve.

Recent Acquisition Protects Llagas Creek Watershed

Santa Clara County gains significant water resource protection with the Authority’s purchase of the Hifai property, 160-acres of open space land located in the upper headwaters of the Llagas Creek Watershed. The property is in South San Jose off Loma Chiquita Road and adjacent to the Authority’s holdings on Mt. Chual, a prominent southern Santa Clara County peak.

Llagas Creek is a primary source of fresh water for the county’s agricultural sector and is designated as critical habitat for the threatened South-Central California Coast (S-CCC) steelhead trout. The land affords potential habitat for the smooth lesinga and Santa Cruz Mountain’s beardstongue, two state-listed threatened plant species.

Land Protection Reduces Fire Risk

Authority staff recently helped avert a disastrous fire on the Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve that could have destroyed trees and wildlife habitat on hundreds of acres. Field staff discovered a hillside fire, notified Cal Fire, and helped them navigate access roads to the property. The firefighters quickly contained the blaze. The Authority’s partnerships with Cal Fire and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department ensure maximum protection of public lands from fire and natural disasters, as well as illegal activities such as poaching and vandalism.

Open space land protection does not end with purchase of a property — it is just the beginning. The Authority monitors and maintains its properties to insure against fire and flooding. Volunteer Trail Patrol and Land Stewards work with Authority staff to protect people, wildlife and natural resources.

Assistant General Manager Matt Freeman to Join the Santa Clara County Food Systems Alliance

Assistant General Manager Matt Freeman will join the Santa Clara County Food System Alliance (FSA) on behalf of the Open Space Authority. Matt will replace the Authority's Citizens Advisory Committee member Eric Carruthers, who served on the FSA for over eight years. The FSA recently released an important assessment of the county’s food system, available here. Over the next several months, the FSA will be developing a work plan to implement the highest-priority recommendations that emerged from the assessment, including the need to permanently preserve the county’s productive farms and ranches. For more information, visit the FSA website.

"A Little Piece of Heaven"

The Open Space Authority purchased 160-acres of pristine property in a partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). The Authority will add the land to its 4,334 acre Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve.

“This property contains the headwaters of Twin Falls Creek in Edson Canyon, a tributary of Llagas Creek. Preservation of this land allows us to expand our stewardship of this fragile watershed and contribute to the protection of our county’s water supply,” said Open Space Authority’s General Manager Andrea Mackenzie.

Watershed Property Protected

The Authority has acquired 160+ acres off Casa Loma Road just west of its Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve. The property is lush with mixed evergreen forest, Coast live oak forest, and riparian forest with two seasonal tributaries to Llagas Creek, an important steelhead stream. Preservation of this property contributes to the protection of the Llagas Creek Watershed and helps maintain important habitat. In the future, this property could provide a bridge for a future trail that extends between Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve and the Authoritys holdings in the Uvas Creek Watershed, thereby expanding public access and recreation in the area.

News!