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About Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM)

The County of Santa Clara owns 735 parcels and nearly 48,455 acres of land.

The ​development and maintenance of property under county jurisdiction provides us with an opportunity to promote the sustainable use of water and land, conserve soils and vegetation, support natural ecosystem functions, conserve materials, elevate human health and well-being, and ensure accessibility for all users.

A sustainable landscape embodies our community values for well-being, safety and environmental protection. It is a healthy and resilient landscape that will endure over the long-term, without the wasteful need for excessive resources.

With this considered, county operations now not only practice, but also actively promote, a whole-system approach to the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable landscapes in order to support the integrity of the regional watershed and local ecology.​​​​​​

Our vision

Our vision is of a future where fully sustainable, zero-carbon communities that operate in harmony with nature are the status quo. Our mission is to promote a holistic approach to landscaping that saves resources by working with nature, not against it.

This informational outreach is the go-to resource to assist County of Santa Clara residents and businesses in adopting sustainable landscaping best practices through education, training and technical assistance. ​

Our work​

Our work provides simple and inspiring gardening resources for residents and landscape professionals in Santa Clara County. 

We aim to provide information on water-wise, native plants as attractive, resource-saving replacements for introduced plants that are harmful to our local landscapes including:

  • Open spaces
  • Streetscapes
  • Commercial property
  • Residential property
  • Educational/Institutional​​​​ property

Our purpose

​The principal purposes of sustainable landscaping in Santa Clara County are:

  • Continually improve gardening practices to minimize environmental impacts at local, regional, national and global scales
  • Protect and enhance the natural environment to ensure its sustainability
  • Provide information, education and instruction
  • Research the impact of gardening on soil conservation, water quality, biodiversity and ecologically sustainable development

These principal purposes are enhanced and supported by the following goals:

  • To reconnect people to the natural world through gardening
  • To inspire gardeners to understand and appreciate the environment
  • To encourage local food production, minimizing “food miles” and their environmental impacts
  • To ensure people develop an understanding of their connection with global communities and the impacts that chemical and resource use have on the natural environment well beyond their neighborhood