Photo credit: Edwards Portraits

Today Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced it has transferred the historic wetland of Laguna Seca in North Coyote Valley to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. This transfer is an important step towards the goal of protecting and restoring all of Coyote Valley, and it was advocacy by Green Foothills and the Protect Coyote Valley coalition that laid the groundwork to make this possible.

Laguna Seca – A Historic Wetland

Laguna Seca (meaning “dry lagoon”) is located at the northern edge of Coyote Valley, between Tulare Hill and Santa Teresa County Park. Historically, it was a biodiverse and complex wetland ecosystem where freshwater marshlands provided habitat for hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife. In the early 1900’s it was drained and diked off for agriculture. Even without its historical ecology, Laguna Seca still provides critical habitat for wildlife, especially during the rainy season when this low-lying site fills up with water and once again hosts myriad species.

The Open Space Authority plans to restore Laguna Seca to its full natural wetland functions. This will not only benefit local wildlife but will increase groundwater replenishment and flood protection for the entire watershed.

Fighting for Coyote Valley Through the Decades

Protecting this land took much more than finding the necessary funding for the purchase — it took decades of hard-fought battles. Over the years, Green Foothills persevered even when most insisted that the development of Coyote Valley was inevitable. So as we rejoice with our partners about this milestone for Coyote Valley’s open space, we take a look back at some of the key efforts that brought about this wonderful achievement.

Green Foothills has been engaged in the future of Coyote Valley for many decades. In the 1970s, IBM proposed building a tech campus in North Coyote Valley. In the 1980s, Apple considered building its world headquarters in this location. In the 1990s, Cisco Systems tried to build a massive tech campus. In the 2000’s, a plan was proposed that added a sprawling suburban neighborhood to the previous tech campus project. All of these efforts and several more were successfully opposed by Green Foothills and its partners, who worked to ensure that the area would be left in its natural state to preserve wildlife and local farming.

Finally in 2018, San Jose’s Measure T was approved by the voters, providing enough funding for the purchase of 937 acres in North Coyote Valley for conservation – including Laguna Seca. With that purchase which permanently protected a significant percentage of Coyote Valley’s open space, the tide began to turn in favor of conservation. In 2021, the San Jose City Council unanimously voted to change the land use for all of North Coyote Valley from industrial to agriculture and open space, and to remove the “urban reserve” designation from Mid Coyote Valley, in effect declaring that the City of San Jose no longer planned any new development in any part of Coyote Valley.

Although developers continue to push to be allowed to develop in Coyote Valley, we have come a long way from the days when the city’s plans anticipated paving over all of the valley floor with development. The city, as well as the voters and local residents, now recognize the tremendous importance of Coyote Valley for wildlife habitat and connectivity, flood and groundwater protection, farmland, and climate resilience.

What’s Next?

The transfer of Laguna Seca to the Open Space Authority is just the first step in a larger planning process for all of Coyote Valley’s protected lands. The Coyote Valley Conservation Areas Master Plan will lay out a plan to restore much of Coyote Valley to its historical ecology, while helping farmland to thrive and providing access to nature for all to enjoy.

Green Foothills and the Protect Coyote Valley coalition will continue to do the work of preventing Coyote Valley’s remaining unprotected open space from being paved over with development, with the hope that someday all of this incredible landscape can be protected for future generations.