Coyote Valley got some significant electoral results on Tuesday when San Jose voters passed a record-breaking bond measure for infrastructure and public safety, Measure T. As a part of the measure, up to $50 million in bonds could go to the preservation of Coyote Valley. While it seems like an odd addition to a bill primarily touted for road repair and similar projects, the Coyote Valley funds were included in an effort to boost flood resilience in the wake of the devastating 2017 winter flooding. Since paving Coyote Valley’s absorbent soils would drive up flood risks, the Valley as it is now represents a type of ecosystem service, a kind of natural infrastructure that, if gone, would be extremely costly to recreate. We’ll be watching to see what happens with the funding allotted for Coyote Valley’s protection and are hopeful that it will contribute to the effort to permanently preserve this unique landscape.
About Protect Coyote Valley
The Protect Coyote Valley campaign is led by Committee for Green Foothills and supported by Greenbelt Alliance, Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, SAGE — Sustainable Agriculture Education, and the Land Trust of Santa Clara Valley. It aims to preserve Coyote Valley, San Jose as open space that offers flood-buffering wetlands, an essential wildlife habitat and migratory area, and active farmlands.