Courtesy of Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
Three weeks after our successful Rally for Coyote Valley, the San Jose City Council met on Tuesday to discuss Measure T and whether to fund acquisition of land in Coyote Valley. While no vote on the $50 million for Coyote Valley occurred at Tuesday’s meeting due to procedural restrictions, Councilmember Sergio Jimenez was stalwart in his insistence that the Council should take action on this issue as soon as possible. As a result, Council directed City staff to bring this issue back for further discussion later this month, with strong support for taking action as soon as possible.
The City Council members have heard us loud and clear – it’s time to protect Coyote Valley for the host of tangible benefits its land provides to the city, including flood protection. Heavy rains this week have already prompted evacuation advisories, caused expensive damage, and threatened the safety of residents with a so-called “atmospheric river.” Natural geography makes flooding in San Jose a risk in wet winters, and for the sake of public safety as well as environmental integrity, we need to ensure that Coyote Valley’s natural land continues to absorb stormwater rather than worsening flood risks.
What you can do now:
- Donate to Protect Coyote Valley to help us continue our conservation work
- Send an email to the City Council, courtesy of partner Green Foothills
- Get the lowdown on Tuesday’s meeting
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.
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