BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., July 25 (High Desert News Online) — A conservation campaign in California has raised enough money to buy Moon Camp, a more than 62-acre parcel near Big Bear Lake that organizers say would otherwise be developed into a luxury neighborhood and marina.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust said the fundraising total reached $10.5 million by July 24, 2026, including a donation of more than $5.5 million from Anna and Greg Brockman. That means the group can move ahead with its plan to buy the land near Jackie and Shadow’s bald eagle nest.
Why the land matters
Moon Camp sits on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, less than a mile from the nest used by Jackie and Shadow, the bald eagle pair watched by bird fans across the region. Friends of Big Bear Valley says the land was once used by an estimated 25 to 30 visiting bald eagles each year before Jackie and Shadow established their nest nearby.
The group has described the property as part of an important wildlife corridor. It says the area supports bald eagles, San Bernardino flying squirrels, rare native plants, waterfowl and other wildlife.
What was planned for the site
The property has been tied to a proposed development that local and campaign materials describe as about 50 custom homes, or more than 50 homes, plus a 55-slip marina.
Friends of Big Bear Valley and the land trust say the goal is to keep the land in conservation rather than see it turned into private housing. The groups have said they want the property protected in perpetuity, and one report said it could later be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service.
How the fundraising worked
The campaign set a $10 million target and a July 31, 2026 deadline. Friends of Big Bear Valley said in February that the land trust needed to secure the money within less than six months. By early May, the group said it had raised more than $2.5 million. By mid-June, the total had climbed past $3.3 million.
The money now in hand means the group has reached the price it said was needed to complete the purchase.
What happens next
The fundraising win does not change the fact that Moon Camp has been the subject of a long land-use dispute. Coverage of the project traces the fight back to 2001 or 2002, depending on the source, when development plans began drawing opposition.
The public details still leave some questions unanswered. The reports do not include the full deed record, the parcel number, zoning classification or closing papers for the land. They also do not show whether the transfer has already been recorded.
Still, for the conservation groups, the main question was whether they could raise enough money fast enough to buy the land before the development could move forward. According to their announcement, they did.
Why this story has drawn attention
Moon Camp has become part real-estate fight, part wildlife story. For local residents and eagle watchers in Big Bear Valley, the land is not just open space. It is part of the setting around one of the region’s best-known bald eagle nests, and the outcome will shape what sits beside it for years to come.
