Friends of Big Bear Valley says a luxury housing project could drive the famous eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow, from their nesting grounds
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Bald-Eagles-Jackie-and-Shadow-01-022326-534c0ad2c8de4a76ad787fb7a03b7182.jpg "Bald Eagles Jackie and Shadow")
FriendsofBigBearValley.org
NEED TO KNOW
- Conservationists aim to raise $10 million to save land near the nesting grounds of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow
- The funds are for purchasing land around the nesting grounds, which would prevent the building of a development near the grounds
- Supporters have until July 31, 2026, to secure permanent preservation
A decades-long battle to protect the nesting and foraging grounds of Big Bear's famous bald eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow, has reached what conservationists are calling its final chapter.
In a social media post shared Thursday, Feb. 19, Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) urged supporters to help them raise $10 million to purchase and permanently preserve a 63-acre stretch of North Shore lakefront known as Moon Camp, located in Fawnskin, Calif. The land is currently slated for a luxury housing subdivision and marina.
"This undisturbed land is on the North Shore and is less than one mile from Jackie and Shadow's nest," the group wrote in the post about the housing development. "It is where they perch and forage for food. It is also home to a rare and endangered plant species."
FriendsofBigBearValley.org
According to a newly released statement from FOBBV, the developer has granted the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust (SBMLT) a limited option to buy the property outright after more than 25 years of public opposition to the project.
Experts have long warned that construction would cause "significant detrimental impact" to bald eagles and could ultimately drive the pair from their nesting territory.
Before approving the development last September, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors received more than 5,000 public emails opposing the plan, advocates say.
The fundraising effort, detailed on savemooncamp.org, was a top priority for longtime FOBBV executive director Sandy Steers, who died on Feb. 11, 2026. Steers, who also served on SBMLT's board, helped negotiate the purchase agreement before her passing. "We need everyone to become Jackie and Shadow's hero," Steers said in a statement before her death.
FriendsofBigBearValley.org
In an earlier appeal this month, she emphasized the broader ecological stakes. "Every single Bald Eagle is an amazing individual being with the right to thrive," said Steers. "Big Bear Valley is the seventh most biologically diverse ecosystem in the country; it is essential that we protect and preserve our unique and rare species."
As of Feb. 23, the campaign had raised $303,026.26 toward its goal. "The challenge ahead is considerable," FOBBV wrote. "SBMLT has to raise $10 million in less than 6 months."
If the $10 million is raised by July 31, 2026, the land will be permanently protected and added to the adjacent United States Forest Service property.
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FOBBV, which is managing the campaign, says this is its most ambitious fundraiser in nearly 25 years and is calling on its 2.4 million social media followers to spread the word.