Instead of becoming the site of luxury homes and a marina, one of Big Bear Lake's few untouched shoreline stretches may end up protected.
A pair of local nonprofits is up against a July 31 deadline to secure the property, saying preservation would help safeguard habitat used by Jackie and Shadow, a pair of bald eagles with a huge online following, SFGATE reported.
What's happening?
Much of Big Bear Lake, a human-made body of water, is ringed by homes, hotels, and vacation rentals.
But roughly 63 acres near Fawnskin on the quieter north shore have remained undeveloped for decades.
The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust has a short-term agreement that would allow it to buy the parcel for permanent conservation if it can raise $10 million by July 31, per SFGATE.
Helping lead that effort is Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit responsible for the 24/7 livestreams that gave Jackie and Shadow their worldwide following. As of July 17, the two groups had raised $4.5 million.
TCD Picks » Good Store Spotlight
Get 10% off your next purchase with code TCD10
The deadline has added urgency because San Bernardino County supervisors approved a 50-home project with a marina on the site last fall, according to SFGATE.
Proposals to build on the same land, later reduced in scale, have been an issue since the 1980s.
Jenny Voisard, media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, told SFGATE that the plan would place development less than a mile from the eagles' nest and includes shoreline the birds use while feeding.
Why does it matter?
For wildlife advocates and many Big Bear residents, the question is whether one of the lake's last natural shorelines will stay available to wildlife in an area that is already heavily developed.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
Voisard said Jackie and Shadow depend on nearby trees and shoreline in highly specific ways.
"It's how they conserve energy. It's how they hunt and fish, and they perch on certain trees for certain reasons in certain areas, in certain angles, certain times of the day," she said.
Advocates are also concerned that construction noise, increased human activity, and heavier boat traffic could disturb the birds.
The eagles now play a role in both Big Bear's identity and its economy, drawing millions of online viewers and helping spark tourism interest.
Sandy Steers, the former executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, made that connection while opposing the project last year.
"I urge you to, for once, support the environment that actually brings the tourists and funds both Big Bear Valley and [the] County of San Bernardino," she said. Steers passed away in February.
Protecting habitat like this can also help preserve biodiversity, recreation, and the natural spaces that make mountain communities livable in the first place — benefits that extend beyond a single species.
What's being done?
Right now, the priority is to raise enough money to buy the property outright, which would permanently settle the development fight.
If the full $10 million is not raised by the deadline, Voisard said the groups plan to use financing, though that would make the process more difficult.
The campaign comes after years of lawsuits, environmental review disputes, and revised plans.
There is also a housing equity argument tied to the proposal. The area has a shortage of affordable homes for full-time workers.
"In Big Bear, there are hundreds of homes that are worth a million dollars or more that are already listed for sale on the market," she said.
"Failure is not an option," Voisard said. "It's the last undeveloped shoreline on the lake. … [Big Bear Lake] is very developed, and houses are mostly all the way around. There's not too much that's just for wildlife."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
