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The Conservation Vision for the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) is intended to serve as a science-based and community informed document that will guide the OSA’s work in Santa Clara County, California. The Conservation Vision will describe the unique sense of place of the Santa Clara Valley and surrounding mountain ranges, identifying key planning issues and trends and highlighting conservation priorities to protect the natural and cultural resources of the area. The Vision also is intended to ensure watershed integrity, promote agricultural viability, support recreation and healthy communities, and lay out strategies and objectives to ensure their lasting protection. It will emphasize the importance of land and resource conservation and stewardship to economic sustainability, climate adaptation, and community health. The vision also aims to address the economic value of the county’s protected lands and the ecosystem services they provide to our society through the integration with a parallel ecosystem services assessment that is currently underway.

WRT is leading a team that includes ICF/Jones & Stokes for natural resource and climate change issues, SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture Education) for agriculture and working lands, and MindMixer for online public involvement. The project represents an important addition to both WRT’s Parks and Open Space Systems and Sustainable Communities planning portfolios—expanding both market sectors beyond their traditional definitions in the direction of more integrated and comprehensive planning with an emphasis on land conservation and sustainability.