BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., July 25 (High Desert News Online) — Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust say they have raised $10.5 million to buy the Moon Camp property near Big Bear Lake in California, ending a fast-moving fundraising drive to protect more than 62 acres of land next to one of the state’s best-known bald eagle nests.
What is Moon Camp?
Moon Camp is a parcel on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, near the community of Fawnskin in San Bernardino County. The land trust and Friends of Big Bear Valley say it sits less than a mile from the nest used by Jackie and Shadow, the resident bald eagle pair.
The groups also describe the site as part of a larger habitat corridor used by bald eagles and other wildlife, including San Bernardino flying squirrels, waterfowl and rare native plants.
Why was the land at risk?
Campaign materials and project records described a proposal for about 50 custom homes, or more than 50 homes, plus a 55-slip marina. Friends of Big Bear Valley said the goal was to stop that kind of development and keep the property protected permanently.
One report said the land could later transfer to the U.S. Forest Service, although the organizations have not publicly laid out every step of that process in the materials reviewed for this story.
How did the fundraising work?
The key tool was an option agreement. That is a deal that gives a buyer a set time to purchase property at an agreed price.
Friends of Big Bear Valley said the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust had until July 31, 2026, to buy the land for $10 million. The nonprofit began asking for help in February. By July 24, it said donations had reached $10.5 million, including a gift of more than $5.5 million from Anna and Greg Brockman, allowing the purchase to move forward.
Why do eagle supporters care so much?
The campaign says Moon Camp is important not only because of Jackie and Shadow, but because of the wider ecosystem around Big Bear Lake. Friends of Big Bear Valley has said the property once drew an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby.
The organization also has said the site helps protect feeding and movement areas for birds and other species that live in the San Bernardino Mountains.
How long has this been a fight?
The development dispute has been going on for a long time. Friends of Big Bear Valley has described the threat as lasting nearly 25 years. Other campaign history ties the fight to 2001 or 2002. The difference appears to reflect different ways of describing the same long-running land-use battle.
What is still unclear?
The public materials do not show the parcel ID, zoning designation, full ownership chain or a recorded closing document. They also do not include the full purchase agreement. Those details matter because they would show exactly how the sale is structured and whether title has already changed hands.
For now, the basic picture is clear: a local land trust and conservation group say they have enough money to buy a key piece of shoreline land and keep it from becoming a housing and marina project next to a famous bald eagle nest.
