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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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Read Our Latest Newsletter

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
A green mountain peak stands in the background with purple wildflowers in the foreground.

November 10, 2025 - The Morgan Hill Times

Morgan Hill, Open Space to collaborate on El Toro trail
A future public trail on El Toro Mountain is one step closer to fruition after the Morgan Hill City Council adopted a “shared commitment” to explore the option in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. 

Click here to read more.

A plot of farmland sits next to a dirt road.

October 17, 2025 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

State funds secure 412-acre Santa Clara County farmland from future development.

Recently awarded state funds will ensure a large Santa Clara County property is blocked off from commercial development and remains farmland long-term.

Read the full article here.

A graphic with papel picado in the background and text that reads "Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana"

October 10, 2025 - El Observador

Symbols of Nature in Hispanic Culture

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Open Space Authority sought to better understand how various Hispanic cultural symbols connect back to nature and, in particular, the nature of Santa Clara Valley.

Read the article in English and Spanish.

A sounder of feral pigs rooting in a field at the Open Space Authority Tilton Ranch property

September 11, 2025 - KQED Bay Curious

Invasion of the Grub Snatchers: How One Rich Guy’s Russian Boars Colonized California

This story features David Mauk, the Open Space Authority's Natural Resource Technician II, and dives into the history of how wild pigs were introduced to our region and the damage they cause to local ecosystems, specifically including Máyyan ‘Ooyákma — Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve. 

Click here to listen to the podcast episode.

FAQ

Latest News

Press Releases & Media Advisories

Grasslands at the Tilton Ranch. There are large boulders in the foreground and the background shows the Santa Cruz Mountain Range.

Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Peninsula Open Space Trust Protect 1,861-Acre Tilton Ranch, Bringing Total Acres Protected Adjoining Coyote Valley to 2,900

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(October 6, 2020) – Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency (Habitat Agency), Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) today announced the purchase of 1,861 acres of Tilton Ranch, increasing permanently protected land to more than 2,900 acres adjacent to Coyote Valley, north of Morgan Hill. One of the largest remaining intact ranches in the South Bay, Tilton Ranch contains critical watershed for both Monterey and San Francisco Bays and is home to dozens of unique and endangered species, some of which occur only in this area.

Understanding Our Community Phase II Report Release

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The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) releases its Understanding Our Community Phase II Report, a framework that builds on the Phase I report published in 2015, and has guided strategic conservation investments that has helped communities overcome barriers to accessing nature.
Laguna Seca with Water

San José City Council unanimously approved the purchase and permanent protection of 937 acres in the North Coyote Valley through an innovative public and private partnership among Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Santa Clara Valley Open Space Autho

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SAN JOSÉ, Calif. (August 3, 2020) – Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced the completed purchase of a 235-acre parcel in the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area. The $16 million purchase is supported by $15 million in new funding from two state agencies: $5 million from the California State Coastal Conservancy and $10 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board. POST contributed the remaining $1 million.
OSA Staff and supporters hold a protect Coyote Valley sign outside City Hall

Public-Private Conservation Partnership Preserves 937 Acres in Coyote Valley

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The San José City Council unanimously approved the purchase and permanent protection of 937 acres in the North Coyote Valley through an innovative public and private partnership among Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) and the City of San José. This conservation transaction secures a critical “last chance” wildlife linkage between the Santa Cruz and Diablo mountain ranges. This irreplaceable landscape features natural floodplains and wildlife habitat, mitigates wildfire impact and builds climate change resiliency for the citizens of the tenth-largest city in the nation.
Green Oak Tree leaves on a branch

242-Acre Purchase Completes Tapestry of Connected Open Space in Santa Cruz Mountains

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Undeveloped and largely untouched, a 242-acre purchase made by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) in partnership with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) completes another pivotal piece of the Santa Cruz Mountains preservation puzzle, opening new possibilities for growing an interconnected trail network.
A photo of a hill at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. The grass is green.

Coyote Valley Conservation Program Bill Introduced by Assemblymember Ash Kalra Lays the Groundwork for a More Climate Resilient Future

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As agencies across the state are beginning to emphasize the importance of protecting our natural lands and their resources, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (DSan Jose) today announced the introduction of AB 948, which would create the Coyote Valley Conservation Program to be administered by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. If the bill is passed, Coyote Valley will receive statewide recognition as a landscape of significant importance for its natural infrastructure benefits including flood risk reduction, wildlife protection, and climate resilience.
A blue butterfly. There is a stripe of pink on its bottom wings lined with small black dots.

Public-Private Partnership Protects Another Key Open Space in the Santa Cruz Mountains

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Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Authority) today announced the purchase of a 159-acre property that widens a vital linkage between the Authority’s Rancho Cañada del Oro and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s (Midpen’s) Sierra Azul open space preserves. This adjacency provides opportunities for connecting recreation options across the two preserves, while securing wildlife habitat and expanding a protected corridor between Highway 17 and Coyote Valley – a high priority area for both organizations in their shared goal of creating habitat linkages for native wildlife.
A report cover that reads, "Healthy Lands & Healthy Economies: Nature's Value in Santa Clara County." A green leaf is pictured up close on the cover with a water droplet.

Our Open Spaces Provide Us with Benefits Valued up to $12.6 Billion

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The value of sweeping open space, working lands, and a thriving natural world can be difficult to place a numerical value on, but a collaboration between the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space has done just that by estimating the monetary value of our soil, water, air, plants, and animals – in other words, our ‘natural capital.’