BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., July 25 (High Desert News Online) — A conservation campaign to buy more than 62 acres of Moon Camp land near Big Bear Lake has reached its $10 million target, clearing the way for a planned purchase that supporters say will protect bald eagle habitat and block a housing-and-marina project in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust said the money will be used to buy the property near the north shore of Big Bear Lake, less than a mile from the nest used by Jackie and Shadow, the well-known bald eagles that have drawn wide public attention in recent years.
What Moon Camp is
Moon Camp is a privately held tract in the Fawnskin area of San Bernardino County. Campaign materials and local project records describe it as land that had been eyed for a development of about 50 custom homes, along with a 55-slip marina.
Supporters of the land deal say the site is more than a scenery issue. Friends of Big Bear Valley describes it as part of an ecological corridor used by bald eagles and other wildlife, including San Bernardino flying squirrels, waterfowl, and rare native plants.
The land trust has said the goal is to keep the property protected in perpetuity, or under permanent conservation control. Some campaign descriptions say the land could eventually be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.
Why this site matters to eagle watchers
The Moon Camp property sits near the nest where Jackie and Shadow have been observed. That proximity is the reason the land has become a conservation priority for the groups raising money.
Friends of Big Bear Valley has also said the area was once used by many more visiting bald eagles. In comments quoted by PopSci, the group’s Voisard said there used to be 20 to 35 visiting bald eagles at Big Bear Lake in winter, while now there are six to 10 at best.
Before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby, the campaign says Moon Camp was used by an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year.
How the deal came together
The effort to protect Moon Camp has been tied to a long-running development dispute. Friends of Big Bear Valley and local reports say the project has been contested for about 25 years, with history reaching back to 2001 or 2002 depending on the record being cited.
In spring 2026, the groups said they had a limited opportunity to buy the land for $10 million by July 31, 2026. Campaign updates showed progress over the following months: more than $2.5 million had been raised by early May, and more than $3.3 million by mid-June.
On July 24, Friends of Big Bear Valley said the campaign had crossed the finish line. The organization said $10.5 million had been donated, including a more than $5.5 million gift from Anna and Greg Brockman, enough to meet the goal and move the purchase ahead.
In a statement quoted by KTLA, the group said supporters’ donations, along with the Brockmans’ gift, fulfilled the amount needed to save the habitat around Jackie and Shadow’s home.
What happens next
The fundraising result is a major step, but the public materials reviewed for the campaign do not spell out the final closing date, escrow status, or recorded transfer details. What the conservation groups have said is that the money is intended to let the land trust acquire the property and protect it from development.
For Big Bear Valley, that means the future of a long-disputed hillside and shoreline property may now be shifting from housing plans to habitat protection.
