In February 2026, the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust launched an effort to purchase 63 acres of land along the north shore of Big Bear Lake to prevent a housing development project. The Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Conservancy argued that the development would disrupt the local wildlife, including the beloved bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow.
The land developer, RCK Properties, agreed to permanently sell the land to the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust for $10 million. The fundraising deadline to meet this goal was set for July 31, 2026.
As the deadline approached, roughly $5 million had been raised. About a week before July 31, an outstanding contribution of $5.5 million from Anna and Greg Brockman brought the SBMLT to its goal. On the day of the fundraising deadline, FOBBV and SBMLT members had a quiet celebration.
With the property now in the hands of the SBMLT, the land will remain a safe wildlife corridor for the hundreds of species living there. Moving forward, the SBMLT hopes to preserve neighboring parcels to further protect what remains of the north shore habitat.
Summarized article originally published by The Sun News