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 roughly 63-acre property on the north shore of Big Bear Lake in California, and keep it from becoming a proposed luxury housing and marina development.
The land sits less than a mile from the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the bald eagles that have become a local draw in Big Bear Valley. Campaigners say the property is also part of an important wildlife corridor in the San Bernardino Mountains.
What is Moon Camp?
Moon Camp is private land near Fawnskin in San Bernardino County. Friends of Big Bear Valley says the site has long served as habitat and open space near the lake. The group says that before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby, the area was used by an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year.
Why was the land at risk?
The property has been tied to a long development fight for more than two decades. Campaign materials describe a proposed project with about 50 custom homes and a 55-slip marina. Conservation advocates say buying the land is the best way to prevent that type of development from moving ahead.
Who is trying to buy it?
Friends of Big Bear Valley is leading the fundraising effort with the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust. The groups have said they want the land protected in perpetuity. One report said the property may later be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service, although the available campaign statements do not spell out every step after the purchase.
How did the fundraising work?
The campaign set a $10 million goal and tied it to a July 31 deadline for a purchase option. Friends of Big Bear Valley said on July 24 that donations had reached $10.5 million, including a more than $5.5 million gift from Anna and Greg Brockman, enough to move ahead with the purchase.
The campaign had been building through the spring and early summer, with fundraising updates showing the effort moving from more than $2.5 million in early May to more than $3.3 million by mid-June before the final surge in July.
Why does this matter?
Land trusts often use donations to buy property and place it under permanent protection, keeping it from being developed later. In this case, the goal is to preserve shoreline habitat near Big Bear Lake and protect land that campaigners say supports bald eagles, San Bernardino flying squirrels, rare native plants, waterfowl and other wildlife.
For supporters, Moon Camp is not just a piece of real estate. It is a shoreline parcel near one of Southern California’s best-known eagle nests, and a test of whether a long-promised development site can be converted into permanent conservation land instead.
