Understanding Coyote Valley

Understanding Coyote Valley

Open Space Authority releases Existing Conditions Report as Baseline for Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan

Understanding Coyote Valley documents history and existing conditions across 10 topic areas that correspond to the goals of Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan (CVCAMP) 

CVCAMP will address needs for protected “last chance” valley floor that is critical to climate resilience of the region 

Public process continues with community open houses starting in August 

Image: Aerial view of Coyote Valley, Derek Neumann, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

San José, Calif. (July 16, 2024) – Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) today released its report Understanding Coyote Valley: Existing Conditions Summary Report a high-level summary of recent scientific studies, regulatory reports and other literature related to Coyote Valley’s conserved lands.  

The report is part of the Authority’s Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan (CVCAMP), a multi-year planning effort now underway in partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), City of San José and other regional agencies. CVCAMP is a science-based and community-informed plan focused on the future restoration and use of more than 1,500 acres of recently protected valley floor lands in North and Mid-Coyote Valley. In addition to planning the use and restoration of these protected lands, CVCAMP is also studying the role they play within the context of the larger 17,200-acre Coyote Valley Conservation Program Area established by the State of California through State Assembly Bill (AB) 948 in 2019. 

The full Understanding Coyote Valley: Existing Conditions Summary Report is available here. 

The CVCAMP process involves multiple assessments and planning/design phases, which will lead to the publication of a master plan document and subsequent environmental review over an approximately five-year time frame. Completion of the Understanding Coyote Valley report concludes the first two CVCAMP phases. 

“The Understanding Coyote Valley report confirms that Coyote Valley contains an array of significant and irreplaceable cultural and environmental resources that are already helping protect communities from extreme weather events,” said Andrea Mackenzie, the Authority’s general manager. “With this science-based foundation, we can now prioritize next steps for restoring the environmental integrity of the Coyote Valley to benefit wildlife, water and people, support local agriculture and enhance public health and ecologically friendly recreational opportunities. We are excited to work with our partners to develop scenarios for restoration and public use and look forward to engaging the public and getting their input in the next steps of the planning process.” 
 

The report’s conclusion lays out the crux of the challenges – and the opportunities – for Coyote Valley’s sustainable future: 

While all existing landscapes are inherently complex, the current state of Coyote Valley is uniquely intricate due to the interweaving of natural systems with human-made infrastructure and development. Embracing this complexity, CVCAMP will strive to honor, protect and conserve existing environmental resources and cultural practices while seeking ways to enhance and restore the underlying functionality of the Coyote Valley ecosystem. In this light, CVCAMP represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to preserve a critical landscape and create a place for nature and people to coexist and thrive. 

About Coyote Valley 

Located at the narrowest point between the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo Range to the east, the valley serves as a critical landscape linkage for the region’s wildlife, connecting over 1.1 million acres of prime habitat in the mountain ranges. The valley itself is notable for its unique valley floor habitats, wildlife, scenic beauty, recreational areas, farmland and water resources. The rich mosaic of wildlife habitats historically supported in Coyote Valley included extensive wetlands, grasslands, oak savanna and woodlands. Additionally, Coyote Valley is a culturally significant landscape for Native Americans and is home to some of the oldest recorded archaeological sites in Santa Clara County.  

Following the arrival of white settlers in the mid-1800s and for much of the century that followed, Santa Clara County’s identity and economy were defined by its thriving agricultural industry. Santa Clara Valley, including Coyote Valley, earned the nickname the “Valley of Heart’s Delight” for its mild climate and the pastoral beauty of vast fruit and nut orchards stretching across the valley floor. 

California’s post-World War II suburban growth boom—super-charged locally by the emergence of the “Silicon Valley” high-tech industry—rapidly consumed almost all of northern Santa Clara Valley’s agricultural lands by the end of the twentieth century.  

Existing conditions 

Coyote Valley's existing valley floor habitats include limited riparian forest along Fisher Creek, seasonal wetlands in parts of Laguna Seca's historic footprint, extensive grasslands and patches of oak savanna. While heavily influenced by human use over time, these habitats still support diverse native mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and plants. However, species movement is often restricted by changes in water availability and human-made barriers like incompatible land uses, roads, rail and fences. 

The valley is a biodiversity hotspot, home to a wide variety of native wildlife, such as mountain lion, American badger, bobcat, Northwestern pond turtle, California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander and tricolored blackbird. Agriculture, valued at $358 million annually in Santa Clara County, is an important part of the local economy and remains Coyote Valley's dominant land use. 

Key Findings in the Report 

• Natural Systems (wildlife, connectivity, water, climate) 

Achieving conservation goals for wildlife habitat, ecological connectivity and water resources in Coyote Valley will require active restoration projects, not just preservation of the existing landscape. Carefully planned interventions are needed to improve habitat quality, wildlife passage and natural hydrologic processes in the context of climate change, which is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in Coyote Valley, including droughts, floods, wildfires and heat waves. 

• Human Use (public access, cultural heritage, agriculture, economy, transportation) 

There are many opportunities to enhance human uses of Coyote Valley for the benefit of local communities. New public access and educational opportunities can be provided in less environmentally sensitive areas. The valley's rich cultural and historic resources can be celebrated. Land access can be provided to local farmers to maintain working agricultural lands. 

• Holistic Vision 

The key to balancing natural systems and human use in Coyote Valley is to create a sustainable landscape mosaic. Core habitats and wildlife corridors should be set aside and interwoven with compatible human uses. This spatial configuration will be the main outcome of the master plan. While roadways pose risks to wildlife, they also provide opportunities for more sustainable public access to open space. A holistic vision considering the interdependencies of land use, climate, biodiversity and the economy is vital. 

Next Steps for CVCAMP in Summer 2024 

Following release of the report, the Authority is organizing a series of “Understanding Coyote Valley” open houses, where community members are invited to view exhibits that illustrate the findings of the report and learn more about the CVCAMP process. The CVCAMP project team will be on hand to discuss the plan and listen to ideas from community members regarding the future restoration of Coyote Valley’s natural and working lands.  

The first open house is scheduled for Friday, August 16, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Morgan Hill Community Center at 17000 Monterey Road.  Additional open houses are planned in San José, with time and location details to be announced. Updates to the schedule will be available online here; community members are also invited to join the CVCAMP e-mailing list here. 

 Also on view at the community open house events will be winning photographs from the Coyote Valley Photo Contest, which closes July 22. Details here. 

The Existing Conditions report was prepared for the Authority by SWCA Environmental Consultants. The Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan (CVCAMP) is led and managed by the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (the Authority) in close partnership with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and City of San José. Work on CVCAMP is funded by the Authority with the generous financial support of POST, Santa Clara County Parks Department, California Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Water Resources and California State Coastal Conservancy. 

Note to media: Images of Coyote Valley, projects and places are available for media use here. 

###