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Wildlife in Coyote Valley?

On Sunday May 6th, Committee for Green Foothills, with Sierra Club, Greenbelt Alliance, Santa Clara Valley Audubon and the Silicon Valley Lands Conservancy, sponsored a community forum to educate the public about the importance of Coyote Valley for wildlife.

The forum followed the recent release of the City of San Jose’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Specific Plan for developing Coyote Valley, the largely agricultural area between San Jose and Morgan Hill, into a new satellite town of 80,000, similar in size to Mountain View (see related story, Coyote Valley debacle lurches onward). Because the DEIR and the Plan largely ignore Coyote Valley’s crucial role as a wildlife corridor and habitat for endangered species, the forum was held to set the record straight.

A Wildlife Corridor for Migrating Animals
Our first speaker of the afternoon was Dr. Grey Hayes of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, a leader in the effort to bring scientists and policy makers together to protect Coyote Valley as an important wildlife corridor. Santa Teresa and Tulare Hill, just south of San Jose’s Blossom Hill neighborhood, is the narrowest and least developed crossing of the otherwise populated valley providing a link for wildlife traveling between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Mt. Hamilton range.

You might find yourself asking, “How does wildlife get across Highway 101?” Tanya Diamond, a graduate student at San Jose State University, spoke about her research (conducted with a group of students from DeAnza College) documenting wildlife presence on Tulare Hill and in Coyote Valley. Over twenty culverts cross under Highway 101, large enough for mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, and other species to reach the other side and Tanya showed video evidence of the use of these culverts for wildlife passage.

Habitat for the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly
Dr. Stuart Weiss, of Creekside Center for Earth Observation, spoke about his efforts to track the impact of increased auto use along Highway 101 on the declining population of the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly. Thanks to his research, he was able to convince regulators that new development should mitigate for this impact by purchasing land on Coyote Ridge to help restore butterfly habitat. Many of you may have joined us on our annual hikes up to see the wildflowers and butterflies over the years.

How You Can Help Protect Coyote Valley for Wildlife
The scientists who spoke confirmed what we had already guessed — developing Coyote Valley would cut off an important wildlife corridor and have drastic impacts on wildlife in the area. This could result in future declines in the health of these species and also potentially trigger a listing under the Endangered Species Act. We also learned of a direct impact of increased auto traffic on nearby hillsides, leading to the decline of sensitive plant and butterfly species. Were these issues, however, adequately addressed in the City’s DEIR? Not according to our review of the document.

This fall, the City of San Jose will hold additional hearings on the proposal to develop Coyote Valley. If you care about wildlife and the other issues associated with this development, now is the time to speak up!

Many thanks to Pacific Gas and Electric Company who provided a grant to CGF to support this year’s educational forums. Also thanks to Cupertino’s House of Music which loaned us the sound equipment needed for this event!

Published Summer 2007 in Green Footnotes.

Page last updated August 22, 2007.