Coyote Valley is an area located in a narrowing of the southern Santa Clara Valley, in Northern California. Coyote Valley is approximately in size and largely composed of farmland, orchards, open space preserves, and homes. Coyote Valley is generally divided into three sections: North Coyote Valley (which is part of San Jose), the unincorporated village of Coyote, California (which is located in North Coyote Valley), and South Coyote Valley (which is part of Morgan Hill). Coyote Valley is one of the largest greenbelts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of Coyote Valley is preserved as open space, nature reserve, or protected farmland. The area was threatened by large-scale development in the early 2000s, which drew criticism from the public, resulting in the abandonment of the redevelopment plans and the establishment of the conservation policy which governs the valley. The Coyote Gap at the extreme north end of Coyote Valley is a critical wildlife corridor for safe passage of animals from the Diablo Range in the east to the Santa Cruz Mountains in the west, as Coyote Valley is the narrowest point between the two mountain ranges. Geography Coyote Valley is a floodplain approximately and wide, situated in a narrow constriction in Santa Clara Valley between the Diablo Range to the east and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west. It contains the largest freshwater wetland in Santa Clara County, Laguna Seca, a mostly seasonal lake important to groundwater recharge. Coyote Valley was named a “2001 Last Chance Landscape of America the Beautiful", one of the ten most endangered American landscapes by Scenic America. The only landscape selected from California, Scenic America described Coyote Valley as: “Coyote Valley is a rare scenic break in an otherwise urbanized area... The rolling hills, blossoming orchards, and grand oaks provide respite to visitors, residents, and myriad species of wildlife." Coyote Valley is largely split between San Jose and Morgan Hill, but also includes the tiny unincorporated community of Coyote, California. It can be divided at Bailey Avenue into North Coyote Valley, which has San Jose addresses and includes the village of Coyote, and South Coyote Valley, which has Morgan Hill addresses. Ecology The current width of the wildlife corridor through the Coyote Valley is . This is considered the minimum width for a viable wildlife corridor for multiple species. De Anza College wildlife biologists and students have monitored wildlife in the Coyote Valley