CONSERVING COYOTE VALLEY AGRICULTURE FEASIBILITY STUDY PHASE ONE REPORT Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE) March 2012 Page 2 Contents Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................3 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................5 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................7 Background........................................................................................................................................... 7 Project Inspiration, Purpose and Phasing ............................................................................................ 7 Components of Phase One Feasibility Study ........................................................................................ 8 Overview of Existing Conditions .........................................................................................................9 Current Land Uses ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Location and Regional Context ............................................................................................................ 9 Acreage, Parcelization and Major Land Uses ....................................................................................... 9 Ownership and Tenant Patterns ........................................................................................................ 12 Circulation and Power Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 12 Cultural Resources.............................................................................................................................. 13 Regulatory Context .................................................................................................................................. 15 North Valley ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Mid-Valley .......................................................................................................................................... 16 South Valley ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan .......................................................................................................... 17 Farmland and Agriculture Production ..................................................................................................... 19 Santa Clara County Agriculture .......................................................................................................... 19 Coyote Valley Agriculture ................................................................................................................... 19 Protected Open Space ............................................................................................................................. 22 Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (SCCOSA) ........................................................................ 22 Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department (SCCPRD) ..................................................... 22 Santa Clara County Water District...................................................................................................... 23 Silicon Valley Land Conservancy ........................................................................................................ 23 Natural Resources and Resource Management ...................................................................................... 25 Topography ........................................................................................................................................ 25 Soils .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Climate and Rainfall ........................................................................................................................... 25 Hydrology and Water Quality ............................................................................................................. 25 Hydrologic Setting .............................................................................................................................. 25 Wildlife Habitat .................................................................................................................................. 31 Land Values in Coyote Valley ............................................................................................................ 36 Recent Sales ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Assessed Values.................................................................................................................................. 37 Agricultural Land Values in Adjoining Counties ................................................................................. 38 Demand for New Commercial and Industrial Space .......................................................................... 39 Economic and Population Growth ..................................................................................................... 40 Social and Lifestyle Factors ................................................................................................................ 40 Resources Available for Ag Land Preservation ................................................................................... 41 Federal Programs ............................................................................................................................... 41 State Programs ................................................................................................................................... 44 County and City Programs .................................................................................................................. 45 Land Trusts ......................................................................................................................................... 46 Foundations ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Financing Agriculture through Private Equity Investment ................................................................. 47 Payment for Eco-system Services (PES) ............................................................................................. 48 Agricultural Land Mitigation ............................................................................................................... 50 Natural Resources Mitigation ............................................................................................................ 50 Challenges and Constraints .............................................................................................................. 52 Opportunities .................................................................................................................................. 53 Feasibility Determination and Preliminary Vision .............................................................................. 56 Phase Two Work Plan ...................................................................................................................... 58 Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 61 Technical Background Reports ................................................................................................................ 61 Maps ........................................................................................................................................................ 77 Page 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funding The project was funded by a generous grant from the San Francisco Bay Program of the State Coastal Conservancy. Partners The following partners provided project direction and advice: Amy Hutzel, Program Manager, San Francisco Bay Area Program of the State Coastal Conservancy Coastal Conservancy; Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager, Santa Clara County Open Space Authority; Rachel Poplack, Director, Healthy Living and Community Partnerships, The Health Trust. Key Informants The following people were interviewed and provided their expertise to the Phase One Feasibility Study: Sheila Barry, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE); Amy Chestnut, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District; Robert Colley, Information Services Department, County of Santa Clara; Ann Draper, Santa Clara Valley Water District and former Director, Santa Clara County Planning; Alan Forkey, NRCS, California Programs; Greg House, House Agricultural Consultants; Marc Landgraf, Peninsula Open Space Trust; Andrea McKenzie, Santa Clara Open Space Authority; Kellyx Nelson, San Mateo County Resource Conservation District; Julie Phillips, DeAnza College Kirst Center for Environmental Studies; Athena Pratt, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Laurel Prevetti, Deputy Director of