The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority is an essential steward and protector of vital landscapes in Santa Clara County, and it currently needs more resources to manage these lands sustainably.
Just in the past decade, the lands under the agency’s management more than doubled, from 12,000 to 30,000 acres, while revenue has remained flat, limiting its ability to carry out its stewardship and resilience mission.
To enhance the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority’s capacity to care for these open spaces, citizens are proposing Measure D, also known as the Santa Clara Valley Wildfire Protection, Clean Water, and Open Space Act, for the June 2026 ballot. The measure would implement an equitable parcel tax that would generate approximately $17 million annually to steward these lands.
Greenbelt Alliance proudly endorses this measure and encourages voters in the Open Space Authority’s jurisdiction to vote YES on the June 2nd election.
Learn more about Measure D and endorse their campaign.
To volunteer, learn more, or to add your organization’s endorsement, contact the campaign team at citizensforscvosa@gmail.com.
Why It Matters
Since 1993, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has been a steward of the irreplaceable natural landscapes of central and southern Santa Clara County. The Authority conserves the natural environment, supports agriculture, and connects people to nature by protecting open spaces, natural areas, and working farms and ranches for today and for future generations. Visitors enjoy free, year-round access to hike, walk, bike, horseback ride, or simply relax in a beautiful landscape. With preserves such as Sierra Vista, Rancho Cañada del Oro, and the iconic Coyote Valley—a campaign that Greenbelt Alliance fought for for many years—, thousands of residents have access to nature near their homes.
Protected open space is not a luxury. Healthy watersheds, managed grasslands, and restored wildlife corridors reduce wildfire risk, protect drinking water, filter runoff, and give communities a better chance to withstand extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and intense.
Supporting this measure is the smart thing to do because it advances key priorities, including:
- Reducing catastrophic wildfire risk by removing hazardous brush
- Protecting our drinking water sources, including rivers, creeks, and streams, from pollution
- Helping clean up pollution and litter in natural areas
- Protecting our area’s farms and healthy, local food sources
- Maintaining and restoring wildlife habitats and corridors
Investing in Resilient Landscapes
At a time when the cost of living and economic challenges are top of mind for American voters, asking voters to support a new tax is never a small request. However, unlike a traditional flat-rate parcel tax, this new measure applies a rate of two cents per square foot of building area. For the average homeowner in the Authority’s jurisdiction, that represents approximately $32 per year, while large commercial and industrial property owners, including the corporations and campuses that benefit enormously from the Bay Area’s livability and natural amenities, will pay proportionally more, but still have a cap of $7,500 per parcel annually.
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has already proven it knows how to deploy this kind of investment effectively. For every dollar of local funding collected, the Authority has leveraged significant matching funds from state, federal, and private sources, bringing in more than $180 million in outside resources to date. This measure would expand that leverage, unlocking additional state and federal dollars that require local matching commitments.
In the June 2026 election, vote YES on Measure D in Santa Clara.
