A land preservation nonprofit and a public transit agency in Santa Clara County are creating wildlife crossings to protect animals and motorists along Coyote Valley’s busiest corridor. In response to wildlife-vehicle collisions, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), in partnership with VTA, is constructing underpasses for animals at key points along Highway 101, Monterey Road and...
San Jose falling behind on key climate target
Halfway through the decade and the clock continues to tick down on San Jose’s ambitious climate target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. The road to success is looking steeper than ever. The City Council has formally acknowledged the city is not on track to hit the climate milestone. The admission came as part of...
San Jose climate goals pivot from leaf blowers
San Jose residents have been clamoring for a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers for years, complaining about their noise and pollution. In response, the City Council began reviewing a proposal to encourage the use of electric leaf blowers through a subsidy program. The city is moving forward with a green subsidy more than a year and...
San Jose residents to get rebates on energy bill
Customers with San Jose Clean Energy, the city’s primary energy provider, are set to get a break on their energy bill come January. With the company’s reserves flush with cash, it has announced a plan to distribute $25 million in rebates to about 330,000 of its customers. “Energy costs were lower than expected in 2025,...
San Jose river trail use up after homeless sweeps
More San Jose residents are utilizing a local recreational trail following a city ban on homeless camps in the area. That’s according to city data and environmental advocates, who also say more wildlife is returning since no encampment zones took effect last year. San Jose has worked to clear homeless people living near rivers and...
Controversial Santa Clara County dam expansion scrapped
One of Valley Water’s most controversial and costly projects has been shelved indefinitely. The water district’s board of directors unanimously voted Tuesday to suspend the Pacheco Dam expansion project after eight years, which would have brought the dam’s water capacity from 5,500 acre feet of water to 140,000 acre feet of water. Directors cited the...
Valley Water land sees reduction in San Jose homeless camps
As efforts to clean up trash and clear homeless residents from local waterways continue, officials are working to make sure people don’t just move from one location to the next due to lack of housing. Valley Water has removed 462 homeless encampments from its land since implementing a no camping policy at the end of...
Cupertino residents pick backyard fruit for people in need
Cupertino resident Vidula Aiyer’s idea to address food waste and hunger in her community is simple — gather volunteers to pick fruit that would otherwise rot on residents’ trees and give it to people in need. All she requires is an 8-foot ladder, buckets and free access to strangers’ backyards. Aiyer, who leads the Rotary...
Silicon Valley lawmaker has plans to help high fire risk communities
One local lawmaker wants to put high fire risk communities at the forefront of wildfire prevention and mitigation, with federal help. Congressman Sam Liccardo is launching a regional partnership between the federal government and local cities to support wildfire prevention efforts. The partnership aims to strengthen multi-jurisdictional communication in the face of climate change, while...
Santa Clara County polluted creek cleanup near cement plant starts
A Santa Clara County hillside polluted for decades by a controversial cement plant and quarry is on the path to restoration. Heidelberg Materials, which owns the Lehigh Permanente Quarry and Cement Plant, detailed its restoration plans for a roughly 1.7-mile stretch of Permanente Creek at an annual community meeting Thursday. Company representatives also gave updates...