TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — About 3,000 acres of scenic backcountry in the Sierra Nevada north of Truckee will be permanently protected under a deal announced by two conservation groups.

Webber Lake and Lacey Meadows, located at the headwaters of the Little Truckee River, will be opened to the public for the first time in more than 100 years under the agreement.

The Truckee Donner Land Trust and Trust for Public Land bought the land for $8 million from Clifton and Barbara Johnson, whose family had owned the property for nearly a century. The Johnsons used Lacey Meadows for summer sheep grazing.

The groups say the property is rich in history and natural beauty. It includes the 260-acre natural lake, the historic Webber Lake Hotel, unspoiled, wildflower-dotted meadows and critical habitat for wildlife.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)