By Alice Kaufman, Legislative Advocacy Director at Green Foothills
September 4, 2020
Measure T, which will renew funding for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA), will be on the ballot for most Santa Clara County voters this November. Volunteers are needed to help get the word out about this important ballot measure to protect and restore local open space!
Volunteer for the Measure T campaign
Measure T is a renewal of the 2014 initiative, Measure Q. In its first five years, Measure Q funded the protection of over 26,000 acres of open space by OSA – including the once-in-a-generation acquisition of almost 1,000 acres of open space in the North Coyote Valley that was threatened by industrial development for decades.
Protecting Coyote Valley is OSA’s top conservation priority. Funds from Measure T will directly benefit conservation efforts in Coyote Valley, including wildlife habitat and connectivity, flood and groundwater protection, local farmland preservation, and recreational benefits.
Green Foothills has endorsed Measure T and, with the financial support of wonderful people like you, our staff are working to help get this ballot measure passed.
We can’t do this alone. Can you volunteer a few hours of your time between now and election day? There are several ways you can volunteer:
- Join Green Foothills for a virtual house party and phone banking evening on Wednesday, September 16 from 5:00 – 8:00.
- Sign up for Measure T’s Outreach Circle to help with campaign outreach.
- Follow the Measure T campaign on Facebook or Instagram.
- Get involved in the campaign by signing up on the campaign website.
How Measure T will help protect Santa Clara Valley’s open space
Measure T does not increase taxes – it merely renews the existing $24 annual parcel tax that voters approved in 2014. It will generate approximately $8 million annually until ended by voters.
Measure T will help the Open Space Authority continue to:
- Preserve open space and wildlife habitat
- Increase public access to open space and expand trail connections
- Manage land to reduce risk of wildfires and floods
- Prevent pollution and improve water quality by protecting lands around creeks, streams, and rivers
- Preserve local family farms and sources of healthy food
Measure T will be on the ballot in San Jose, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Campbell, Morgan Hill, and the unincorporated portions of Santa Clara County. For more details about what Measure T means for the future of Santa Clara Valley open space, see the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s website.
Thanks for all that you do to help protect open space in Santa Clara County!