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

A woman in a light blue shirt and sunglasses stands at a podium with the OSA logo speaking into a microphone at an outdoor event

Sign up for Media Updates

Be the first to receive breaking news and updates from the Open Space Authority. Sign up for our media list to receive press releases and media advisories by clicking here. 

brown and white specked burrowing owl surrounded by long green grass against a light brown background

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 valley showcases a wetland, mountain ranges and grassy hillsides.

June 9, 2026 - The Mercury News

Voters approve new parcel tax for open space in Santa Clara County

Continuing the long trend of Silicon Valley voters supporting environmental issues, Measure D — a parcel tax to raise $17 million a year to buy new open space preserves, build trails and reduce fire danger across large swaths of Santa Clara County — has passed.

Read the full article here.

Large oak tree with huge branches covered in green leaves sits on top of a hill covered in golden grass in front of a blue sky and sun that is shining through its branches

June 9, 2026 - Silicon Valley Business Journal

Santa Clara County voters approve Measure D as citizen-led initiative secures funding

Santa Clara County voters approved Measure D, a parcel tax expected to generate about $17 million annually for wildfire prevention, open space preservation, water restoration and agricultural land preservation projects across the South Bay.

Read the full article here.

Proposed battery storage site (prime farm field) in Coyote Valley

June 1, 2026 - The Mercury News

Major battery storage project proposed in San José's Coyote Valley

Environmentalists, political leaders and parents at a nearby school oppose the plan for a Virginia energy company to build one of the largest battery storage plants in California in Coyote Valley.

Read the full article here.

A Tule elk approaches a green plant with purple flowers

April 24, 2026 - SFGate

Bay Area hikers are skipping crowds for this elk haven

Coyote Valley, the narrowest stretch between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range, hosts thousands of acres of farms, orchards and ranches. It’s also one of the few places to see a federally threatened species: Tule elk.

Read the full article here.

FAQ

Latest News

Press Releases & Media Advisories

Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Measure T

Publish On
(November 4, 2020) – The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority announced today that Measure T, the Open Space, Wildlife Habitat, Clean Water, and Increased Public Access Measure, has passed with 82% of the vote. Approval of the measure signals voters strong support for continued public investment in open space, natural areas, and agricultural lands preservation.
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

Publish On
(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

Publish On
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

Publish On
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

Publish On
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

Publish On
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

Publish On
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

Publish On
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.