Placer County teamed up with the State to contribute to Placer Land Trust's acquisition of 1,773 acres of oak woodlands located outside of Auburn. In December 2010, the Board of Supervisors approved an agreement that allowed the Placer Land Trust to complete acquisition of the property in cooperation with The Trust for Public Land. Under the agreement, Placer County contributed $5 million to acquire a conservation easement from Placer Land Trust for a 427-acre West Placer property known as the Doty Ravine Preserve.
The Harvego Bear River Preserve property is part of the 2,300-acre Bruin Ranch which is located in the Auburn Valley-Big Hill area. The ranch is west of Highway 49 and just south of the Bear River, the boundary between Placer and Nevada counties.
The Preserve is now open to the public during Placer Land Trust docent-led tours.