BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., July 25 (High Desert News Online) — A $10 million land deal near Big Bear Lake has reached its fundraising target, clearing the way for a conservation purchase that could block a planned housing and marina project next to Jackie and Shadow’s bald eagle nest.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust say they have raised $10.5 million to buy more than 62 acres at Moon Camp on the north shore of Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County, California. The groups want to keep the land in permanent conservation instead of allowing it to be developed.
What is Moon Camp?
Moon Camp is a private parcel near the unincorporated community of Fawnskin. Publicly described project plans tied to the land call for about 50 custom homes, or more than 50 homes, plus a 55-slip marina.
The land trust has an option to buy the site for $10 million by July 31. Friends of Big Bear Valley says the fundraising goal was reached after a donation of more than $5.5 million from Anna and Greg Brockman helped push the campaign past the finish line.
Why does the site matter?
The tract sits less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow’s nest. Friends of Big Bear Valley says the area is an important wildlife corridor and habitat for bald eagles, San Bernardino flying squirrels, rare native plants, waterfowl and other species.
In one account shared by the group and reported by PopSci, Voisard said there used to be 20 to 35 visiting bald eagles at Big Bear Lake in winter, and now there are six to 10 at best.
The long fight over the land
Campaign materials and local records referenced in reporting trace the dispute back nearly 25 years, to the early 2000s. The proposed development has been a source of conflict since at least 2001, with conservation supporters trying to stop it for years.
That long time frame is why the current fundraising push matters. Land trusts often move quickly when a property owner offers a short purchase window. In this case, the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust says it had a limited chance to buy Moon Camp before the development path moved ahead.
What does a conservation purchase do?
A land trust is a nonprofit that buys land or places limits on development to protect it. If the Moon Camp purchase closes as planned, the land would be kept from becoming a housing and marina project.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the land trust say the goal is to protect the property in perpetuity. One report says the land could later be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.
What happens next?
The available reporting says the campaign now has the money it needs to proceed, but it does not include a recorded closing or deed transfer. The next step is for the land trust and seller to complete the purchase process before the July 31 option deadline.
For Big Bear Valley, the deal is both a real estate transaction and a wildlife protection effort. It could decide whether a long-discussed development moves forward or whether the land stays part of the region’s natural habitat.
