Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority

Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
OSA
Established1993

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) is an independent special district in Santa Clara County, California, U.S.[1][2] A bill signed by Governor Wilson in 1992, SB2027, created the district as the Santa Clara County Open Space Preserve as of February 1, 1993.[3] In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed California Senate Bill SB422 to rename the authority with "Valley" instead of "County."[2] The OSA serves areas of the county outside the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District with the exception of Gilroy.[1] The OSA uses $4.2 million per year from a $12-per-parcel property-tax assessment to hire open space technicians and to open land to the public.[4]

The Open Space Authority currently owns or manages the following public open space preserves:[5]


Mission: The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority conserves the natural environment, supports agriculture, and connects people to nature, by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for future generations.

References

  1. ^ a b "About OSA". SCVOSA. Retrieved September 7, 2014. Santa Clara County Open Space Authority is an independent special district – rather than a part of county government – and is governed by an elected board of directors.
  2. ^ a b Staff (July 18, 2015). "Internal Affairs: The word 'Valley' gives agency a new meaning". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  3. ^ "About OSA | History". SCVOSA. Retrieved September 7, 2014. The new district would be a key part of a comprehensive, long-range strategy for protecting the county's future quality of life by preserving the overall quality of the environment.
  4. ^ Paul Rogers (July 24, 2014) [July 19, 2014]. "Silicon Valley open space tax heading toward November ballot". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved September 7, 2014. The agency also has $26 million left from the 2008 Supreme Court settlement. But when that money runs out...it won't be able to hire more rangers or open more of its lands to the public -- and only about 7,500 acres are open now.
  5. ^ "Open Space Authority Trails and Preserves". Santa Clara Valley Open Space District. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Future Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve". Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
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