Kat Hill interviewed by ABC 7

Pressroom

Pressroom

Media Inquiries

Welcome to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority pressroom. 

If you are seeking information and imagery for educational purposes or media use, please reach out to the Public Information Manager.

Press Contact

Charlotte Graham

Public Information Manager

408-439-6541

News@openspaceauthority.org

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The Open Space Authority monthly e-newsletter shares important, timely events, information and fun facts about your open space preserves. Click here to read the latest newsletter!

In The News

External links to recent articles about the Open Space Authority
Seven members of the Open Space Authority's Board of Directors pose for a photo against a wood backdrop.

February 1, 2026 - The Mercury News

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Announces Board of Directors Updates

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority appointed Cathryn Ming Hyde to the District 5 seat on the authority’s board at its Jan. 22 meeting.

Read the full blurb here.

A nature trail leads to a tree during golden hour

February 1, 2026 - East Bay Times

Transparently Excellent

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority recently received the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation in recognition of its efforts to promote transparency and good governance.

Read the full blurb here.

Wasim Sahibzada crouches near the ground to cultivate the saffron stamen

December 21, 2025 - Siliconeer

“Kesari” California – Growing Saffron in Silicon Valley

Wasim Sahibzada is a fourth-generation saffron farmer who is using the expertise of his family’s rich heritage to grow saffron in Silicon Valley and offer community members the opportunity to learn more about this unique spice.

Read the article here.

Aerial image of Laguna Seca with the city of San Jose in the background

December 3, 2025 - Nature

Cities are embracing nature for flood defense

This piece explores how cities are turning to natural solutions to reduce flood risk and features the Open Space Authority's efforts to restore ecological and hydrological functions in Coyote Valley.

Click here to read the article.

FAQ

Latest News

Press Releases & Media Advisories

Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Opens New Preserve to the Public: Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve

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The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) will open the 1,859-acre Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve to the public on Thursday, August 31. Five miles of new trails – including a new 3-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and a wide range of accessible experiences – will be open for free to hikers on a schedule that balances recreation and nature experiences with the sensitive habitat for the many species that make their home in the preserve’s rare serpentine grasslands.

Open Space Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

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2023 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. The agency was founded in 1993 as a public, independent special district – envisioned by dedicated local citizens and enacted by the California State Legislature – with the mission of forever protecting natural and agricultural lands and connecting people to nature. The Open Space Authority is funded by a voter-approved benefit assessment and parcel tax (Measures Q and T) and grants. The agency’s jurisdiction is 1,000 square miles and includes the cities of Campbell, Milpitas, San José, Santa Clara, Morgan Hill, and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County.

Open Space Renames Coyote Ridge

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San José, Calif. (October 28, 2022) – On Thursday, October 27, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Open Space Authority) Board of Directors voted unanimously to include a Chochenyo translation of “Coyote Ridge” alongside the current preserve name, making it Máyyan 'Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve. Chochenyo is considered a dialect of what linguists now call the San Francisco Bay Costanoan language that also includes Ramaytush and Thámien.

Open Space Authority Awarded $247K for Critical Habitat Restoration Work

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San José, Calif. (June 30, 2022) – July is Wild about Wildlife Month, and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is highlighting its important work to conserve and restore critical wildlife habitat in Coyote Valley. A particular area of focus is Fisher Creek on the west side of the valley. At this location, wildlife travels between over one million acres of habitat in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range, seeking the cover of plants and trees in the riparian corridors as they move across Coyote Valley.

Popular Pumpkin Patch Returns at New Location in Coyote Valley

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San José, Calif. (June 16, 2022) –The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has entered a three-year lease with Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch and Fruit Stand to reopen at a new location at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in Coyote Valley. The 60 acres of prime farmlands (known as Laguna 60) where the festivities will be held was permanently protected by the Open Space Authority in October 2021. The fruit stand will open in July, and the popular pumpkin patch will open September 26 through November 6, with a variety of offerings for youth, families, and others looking for fall fun in the South Bay.

County Actions Safeguard Coyote Valley Farmland and Open Space

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San José, Calif. (December 14, 2021) – Today, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to strengthen protections for Coyote Valley’s natural and working lands. Over the last 20 years, farmland in Santa Clara County has declined by 45%, but the amendments to the County's General Plan, zoning ordinance, and zoning map will protect important resources in Mid- and South Coyote Valley to safeguard local food production and climate benefits.

Protecting Prime Farmlands in Coyote Valley

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San Jose, Calif. (November 1, 2021) – 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

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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 was allocated by the California Legislature in SB-170, the Budget Act of 2021.