BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., July 25 (High Desert News Online) — Friends of Big Bear Valley says it has raised $10.5 million to buy more than 62 acres at Moon Camp on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, a move meant to block a planned housing-and-marina project and preserve land less than a mile from the nest of Big Bear’s famous bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow.
The fundraising goal was $10 million. Friends of Big Bear Valley announced on July 24 that the campaign had crossed that mark after a more than $5.5 million donation from Anna and Greg Brockman, allowing the land purchase to move forward.
What is Moon Camp?
Moon Camp is a stretch of land in the Big Bear Valley area of San Bernardino County, near the community of Fawnskin. Campaign materials and project records described it as the site of a proposed development that could have included about 50 custom homes, or more than 50 homes, along with a 55-slip marina.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust said their goal was to keep the property in conservation use rather than see it developed. The groups have described the land as part of an important wildlife corridor and habitat for bald eagles, San Bernardino flying squirrels, rare native plants, waterfowl and other wildlife.
Why does Jackie and Shadow’s nest matter here?
Jackie and Shadow are the resident bald eagles that have drawn intense attention to Big Bear Valley. The Moon Camp property sits less than a mile from their nest, and Friends of Big Bear Valley says protecting the land helps protect the broader ecosystem the eagles depend on.
Before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby, Moon Camp was used by an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year, according to the campaign’s statements. In a quote carried by PopSci, Friends of Big Bear Valley’s Voisard said there used to be 20 to 35 visiting bald eagles at Big Bear Lake during the winter, and now there are six to 10 at best.
How did the fundraising work?
The campaign began with a public push to raise $10 million by July 31, 2026. Friends of Big Bear Valley posted an appeal in February, and later updates showed the group moving from a little more than $2.5 million raised in early May to more than $3.3 million by mid-June.
By late July, the group said the money had been secured. KTLA reported that the final total reached $10.5 million, including the Brockmans’ donation.
The land trust has said the property is intended to be held in perpetuity, or under permanent conservatorship, and one report said it may later be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.
How long has the Moon Camp fight gone on?
The dispute over development at Moon Camp has been underway for decades. Friends of Big Bear Valley has said the land has been under threat for nearly 25 years. KESQ reported that the community has fought the project since 2001, while PopSci said development discussions stretch back to 2002.
Across the years, campaign and local-government-related reporting has described phases of approval, court action and efforts to stop the project. The sources provided for this article do not include the underlying county filings, so the legal history is best understood as a long-running land-use fight rather than a fully detailed court record.
What happens next?
Friends of Big Bear Valley says the funding allows the purchase to proceed. The sources do not include the full purchase agreement, closing date or recorder filing, so it is not clear from the public material whether the transaction has fully closed or simply advanced past the fundraising hurdle.
For Big Bear Valley, though, the immediate meaning is clear: a major private conservation campaign has raised enough money to try to keep a large piece of shoreline land from becoming a housing development next to one of California’s best-known bald eagle nests.
