Placer Land Trust Joins Partnership to protect Bear River Trust and landowner to protect 2,300 acres along Bear River Published on Nov 14, 2009 - 8:01:41 AM
Bruin Ranch contains over three miles of Bear River frontage, including rocky gorges and meandering floodplains presenting new opportunities for public recreation. Courtesy Placer Land Trust.
November 14, 2009 - Wilderness trails, water quality and scenic open space are just a few of the reasons that three conservation groups have joined forces with willing landowners to preserve land along the Bear River.
Placer Land Trust (PLT) and the Nevada County Land Trust (NCLT) have joined with the internationally known Trust for Public Land (TPL) to form the Bear-Yuba Partnership, a new initiative designed to encourage public and private investment in protection of the Sierra Nevada foothills in the Bear River and Yuba River watersheds.
"This partnership solidifies what has been a working relationship for nearly a decade," said TPL's Sierra Nevada Program Director Dave Sutton. "Strategically, it makes sense for us to formalize this partnership now in order to take advantage of an incredible opportunity to achieve landscape-level conservation."
With real estate prices lower than they've been in decades, PLT Executive Director Jeff Darlington says that now is the time to "get the most bang for the buck" out of the land trust's public and private support.
The partnership organizations are under contract to purchase properties on the Bear River totaling nearly 3,000 acres.
PLT Executive Director Jeff Darlington, TPL Project Manager Megan Wargo, NCLT Executive Director Marty Coleman-Hunt, and TPL’s Sierra Region Director Dave Sutton announced the Bear-Yuba Partnership at a reception at Ten22 Restaurant in Old Sacramento. Courtesy Placer Land Trust
PLT and TPL are working with landowner Lloyd Harvego and family to permanently protect the 2,300-acre Bruin Ranch in Placer County. The working cattle ranch has over three miles of Bear River frontage, and an incredible diversity of wildlife in the oak woodlands and riparian areas.
"We're very pleased to be working with PLT and TPL to preserve Bruin Ranch," said Harvego at the announcement of the Bear-Yuba Partnership in Sacramento. The Harvego family hosted the announcement reception at Ten22, their new restaurant in Old Sacramento.
Partnership members are working with willing landowners to preserve lands in an area that includes portions of Butte and Yuba counties reaching along the North Yuba River and extending south through Nevada County, past the Bear River and down to Coon Creek in northern Placer County. This region has been identified as a conservation priority by State agencies and biologists alike.
If Bruin Ranch and other projects are concluded as planned, the Partnership will have over 6,500 acres of contiguous open space preserved for current and future generations. Portions of these lands will be open to the public through wilderness trails, eventually liking Hidden Falls Regional Park in Placer County to new trails along the wilderness of the Bear River.
"We have until August 2010 to raise $14 million to preserve Bruin Ranch," said Darlington. "This is a big deal, and it's a one-time opportunity. If you live, work or play in Placer County and you value our natural resources like water, wildlife and trails … I urge you to give us a call now to find out how you can support the protection of Bruin Ranch."
Darlington added that if not preserved, Bruin Ranch would almost certainly go back on the market as the economy recovers, and could easily accommodate "up to 900" residential homes.
Placer Land Trust is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1991 and dedicated to working with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently preserve natural and agricultural lands in Placer County. To date the Trust has preserved 4,654 acres across Placer County for current and future generations. For more information about Placer Land Trust, the Bear-Yuba Partnership, or Bruin Ranch, call (530) 887-9222 or visit www.placerlandtrust.org.
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