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Andrea Mackenzie, the general manager for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, shares a reflective and hopeful message about the future of the agency as well as our commitment to caring for nature to benefit the people and wildlife who live in the Santa Clara Valley. Scroll to keep reading the message.

Croy Redwoods Preserve Update

The Open Space Authority celebrates the addition of 80 acres to Croy Redwoods Preserve. This is thanks to a generous property donation from the Bay family, who owned and enjoyed these lands for over 50 years. “It is our honor and pleasure to preserve this beautiful landscape for future generations of public enjoyment and habitat,” says John Bay, of the Bay family, regarding the donation.

Seven Reasons to be Thankful For Nature

November is a time for gratitude, with holidays approaching and the beginning of a new year. As we reflect on the people, places, and experiences that bring us joy, here’s a reminder of all the amazing benefits the open spaces of the Santa Clara Valley provide. May this list inspire you to move through the holidays with gratitude, love, and respect for....

Coyote Valley Restoration Project Recharging South Bay's Groundwater Amid CA's Drought

SANTA CLARA CO., Calif. (KGO) -- Flying over the sweeping green hills, Coyote Valley can seem a world away from the urban core of Santa Clara County. But when it comes to water, it's connected in ways that are becoming increasingly important in the face of drought and climate change.

By Spencer Christian and Tim Didion of ABC7.

View the full story here.

Protecting Santa Clara Valley's Farmland: A Partner's Perspective

California is home to innovative farmers and ranchers using climate-friendly practices that reduce on-farm greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and have other health and environmental benefits.

Learn how the Open Space Authority is conserving agricultural land to limit urban sprawl and reduce emissions. 

Written by Becca Lucas, California Climate & Agriculture Network (CalCAN) Communications & Operations Manager.

Read the full story here.

Tibbott: The Synergy of Planning and Conservation: State Investment and Land Use Policy Come Together in Santa Clara County

Read a story of how visionary land conservation interests in Santa Clara County are working to preserve the Valley’s rich agricultural and natural treasures with support from the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program and other state funding. 

Written by Emily Tibbott, Senior Advisor for Land Conservation, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

Read the full article here.

A New Year for Open Space

Happy 2022!

San José City Council Unanimously Approves the Permanent Protection of Coyote Valley

San José Mayor, Councilmembers, and environmental advocates celebrate expansion of lands protected in Coyote Valley 

San José Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez (D 2), David Cohen (D4), and Pam Foley (D9) and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority were joined by environmental advocates, Charlene Nijmeh of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, and community partners to celebrate the unanimous City Council vote to approve zoning changes to Coyote Valley that will protect it from urban sprawl. Now, over 3,200 acres of land in Coyote Valley are protected for agriculture, recreation, and tourism uses and spared from the expansion of office and industrial development in the area, preserving it for future generations.

Sixty Acres of Prime Farmland Protected in Coyote Valley

Open Space Authority Protects 60 Acres for Sustainable Agriculture

Sixty acres of prime farmland are now protected at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in the middle of Coyote Valley - also known as Mid Coyote Valley. With this latest addition to Coyote Valley’s growing network of protected lands, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) is working to establish sustainable, local climate-smart agricultural practices within the Coyote Valley Conservation Program Area. 

Community-Focused Climate Resilience Project Receives $16 Million

Protection of North Coyote Valley Floodplain to Reduce Downstream Flood Risks in Urban San José

San José, CA - In September 2021, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) received multiple funding awards totaling over $16 million from the State of California for the protection of North Coyote Valley open space lands. $6 million in funding comes from an Urban Flood Protection grant from the California Natural Resources Agency, and $10 million has been allocated by the California Legislature in SB-170, the Budget Act of 2021.