Author: Brian Schmidt

Cover Image from Santa Clara County Recreational Vehicle Parks Study, March 2018 Recreational Vehicle (RV) parks can be an enjoyable experience providing greater comforts than tent camping especially for those who want a more extended stay. However, turning these remote RV parks into permanent housing is a misuse of rural areas. They become high-density housing...

This month, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors took the first long-needed step to protect a hillside that is part of Lehigh Quarry, the giant quarry scarring the hills above Cupertino and Los Altos Hills. County staff will now begin researching better ways to enforce protection of the hillside Lehigh has been damaging. Thank...

On Tuesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed staff to investigate sharing enforcement authority with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District over a ridgeline easement on Lehigh Quarry property. Thank you to all of you who asked the Supervisors to support the referral to staff. Why It’s Important For decades, Lehigh has been...

On Tuesday, June 22, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will decide if staff should investigate sharing enforcement authority with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District over a ridgeline easement on Lehigh Quarry property. Lehigh has violated the County-owned easement agreement for many years, degrading the habitat and threatening Rancho San Antonio Park. Please ask...

There are multiple reasons why the wildfire problem in California is growing worse: climate change is increasing the number of fires that burn more intensely and widely than in the past, past patterns of fire suppression have resulted in a backlog of fuel, and many people live in forests in harm’s way. There is no...

Streams, Riparian Zones Running Through San Jose are Crucial Habitats San Jose is extraordinarily fortunate to have important and environmentally viable stream corridors running through the city, from the hills to the Bay. In the hills, elk and deer delight urban residents. In the Bay, sea life like leopard sharks and small rays swim within...

One of the clearest rules in the Santa Clara County General Plan is to avoid developing on a ridgeline whenever possible. Unfortunately, the County failed to follow its own rules when approving an 8,600 square foot residence at the top of a hillside overlooking Morgan Hill. In February, we wrote a letter supporting an appeal...

Possibly the most important committee or commission addressing land use in Santa Clara County is the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) which serves as a referee against sprawl. Having members appointed to the Commission who understand and uphold their duty to protect the environment is critical. When the Commissioners who serve on LAFCO fail to...

Measure T: A Victory Funding Environmental Protection With over 81% voting yes, the massive public approval of Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s Measure T demonstrated how environmental advocacy can achieve positive change and a win on behalf of the environment. We actively played an instrumental role in Measure T’s passage. As Santa Clara Valley...