A decadeslong effort to safeguard the nesting and foraging grounds of Big Bear Valley’s famous bald eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow, has reached a pivotal moment — one that conservationists say could determine whether the birds continue to thrive in the only home they have known.
Advocates are now racing to raise $10 million by July 31, 2026, to purchase and permanently preserve a 63-acre stretch of North Shore lakefront known as Moon Camp, an undeveloped area less than a mile from the eagles’ nest that has been slated for a luxury housing subdivision and marina.
For those who have followed Jackie and Shadow through popular nest cameras and years of conservation updates, the land represents far more than acreage — it is part of the ecosystem that supports their survival.
“This undisturbed land is on the North Shore and is less than one mile from Jackie and Shadow’s nest,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said in a social media post urging public support. “It is where they perch and forage for food. It is also home to a rare and endangered plant species.”
A Long Fight Reaches a Turning Point
The current campaign comes after more than 25 years of public opposition to development plans for the site. The developer has now granted the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust a limited option to buy the property outright, creating what conservationists describe as the last realistic chance to protect the habitat permanently.
Experts have repeatedly warned that construction in the area would cause significant detrimental impact to the bald eagles, potentially disrupting their ability to raise chicks and even forcing them to abandon the territory altogether.
Prior to approving the project last year, county officials received more than 5,000 emails from members of the public opposing the development, highlighting how deeply the birds are woven into the community’s identity.
A Mission Shaped by Legacy
The urgency surrounding the fundraiser carries additional emotional weight following the death of Sandy Steers, longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, on Feb. 11, 2026. Before her passing, Steers played a key role in negotiating the purchase agreement that made the conservation opportunity possible.
Her words — shared before her death — continue to guide the effort.
“We need everyone to become Jackie and Shadow’s hero,” Steers said.
In another appeal earlier this month, she emphasized the broader ecological stakes:
“Every single bald eagle is an amazing individual being with the right to thrive. 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. There are some that exist nowhere else in the world but here. Please help today, tomorrow and the next day. We don’t have much time to protect Jackie and Shadow’s habitat and keep their foraging area from being destroyed.”
For supporters, the campaign has become both a conservation effort and a tribute to Steers’ decades of advocacy.
A Community Effort With Limited Time
Friends of Big Bear Valley is managing the fundraising campaign while the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust would serve as the purchaser of the land. The organizations have less than six months to secure the full $10 million needed to ensure permanent protection and incorporate the property into adjacent U.S. Forest Service land.
If successful, conservationists say the purchase would preserve critical habitat not only for Jackie and Shadow but also for other species that depend on the region, including endangered plants and native wildlife.
For now, the outcome remains uncertain — but supporters believe the community that has followed the eagles’ journey for years may once again play a decisive role.
With time running short, the effort has become a reminder of how deeply people can connect with wildlife — and how collective action can shape the future of a place that means so much to both animals and humans.
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