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 Moon Camp, a more than 62-acre property on Big Bear Lake’s north shore in California.
The land sits less than a mile from the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the bald eagles that have drawn close attention to Big Bear Valley. The groups say the purchase would stop a planned development of about 50 custom homes and a 55-slip marina.
What is Moon Camp?
Moon Camp is a parcel near the unincorporated community of Fawnskin in San Bernardino County. The conservation campaign says the site is part of an important wildlife corridor and habitat for bald eagles, San Bernardino flying squirrels, rare native plants, waterfowl and other species.
Friends of Big Bear Valley also says the area supported an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby.
Why does the land matter?
For conservation groups, Moon Camp is valuable because it is one of the remaining undeveloped shoreline areas near Big Bear Lake. Keeping it out of private development would protect the habitat next to the eagles’ nesting area and preserve open space near the lake.
The campaign materials say the goal is to keep the land protected in perpetuity. In some descriptions, that means the property would be held under permanent conservation and could later be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.
What development was planned?
The property has been tied to a long-running proposal for residential and marina development. Public descriptions of the project vary slightly, but they refer to roughly 50 homes, or more than 50 homes, plus a 55-slip marina.
Friends of Big Bear Valley has said the site has been threatened by development for nearly 25 years. Other reporting on the project history traces the dispute back to 2001 or 2002.
How did the fundraising reach $10.5 million?
The campaign moved in stages. Friends of Big Bear Valley said in May that it had raised more than $2.5 million. By mid-June, the group said the total had climbed to more than $3.3 million.
On July 24, Friends of Big Bear Valley said donations had reached $10.5 million, including a more than $5.5 million gift from Anna and Greg Brockman. The group said that amount was enough to move the purchase forward.
What happens next?
The land trust and Friends of Big Bear Valley say the next step is to complete the land purchase and preserve the property. The publicly available campaign information does not spell out the full closing timeline or record status of the transaction.
For Big Bear Valley, the deal is both a real estate transaction and a conservation effort: a race to keep a shoreline property in protected hands instead of allowing homes and a marina to reshape the site next to one of California’s best-known bald eagle nests.
