Big Bear housing project proposal reignites habitat concerns among bald eagle fans

A proposal to build housing along the north shore of Big Bear Lake is coming back to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for consideration Tuesday, reigniting concerns that it could harm wildlife and rare plants in the area — including bald eagles who nest nearby.

If approved, the more than 62-acre Moon Camp project would include 50 lots for custom homes and a marina with 55 boat slips in the unincorporated community of Fawnskin.

Moon Camp’s design was first drafted decades ago, but since then the project has faced harsh criticism and legal challenges from environmental organizations, including Friends of Big Bear Valley, which runs a popular YouTube livestream of Jackie and Shadow's famous bald eagle nest overlooking the lake.

The proposed project site can be seen from the eagle’s nest camera less than a mile away and is a foraging habitat for its famous feathered couple, their chicks and other bald eagles in the area, according to Sandy Steers, executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Steers said Moon Camp would have a “severe detrimental impact” on the community’s plant life and wildlife, including bald eagles and San Bernardino flying squirrels.

“ We're not trying to stop development or anything like that — we're trying to protect habitats,” she told LAist. “ We want this valley and the environment to maintain its integrity.”

RCK Properties, Inc. is proposing the project, according to county documents. LAist has made attempts to reach the company for comment, but so far has been unsuccessful.

The proposed project site can be seen highlighted by a yellow line from the nest livestream.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley

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How we got here

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Moon Camp project in July 2020, according to a staff report, but it was challenged in court a month later.

Three conservation groups — Friends of Big Bear Valley, the Center for Biological Diversity and the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society — filed a lawsuit over Moon Camp, alleging that the county violated the California Environmental Quality Act when it approved the project’s final environmental impact report.

A judge agreed — partially — putting the project on hold.

Superior Court Judge David Cohn ruled in January 2022 that the report failed to fully account for wildfire evacuation risks and didn’t adequately mitigate the project’s effects on the ashgray Indian paintbrush or pebble plain habitat, which is a rare clay soil that’s home to alpine plants found only in Big Bear Valley.

The judge denied all other arguments by the conservation groups in the lawsuit, including a contention that the environmental impact report was inadequate because it failed to include up-to-date information on the bald eagle population around the site.

The Board of Supervisors rescinded its approvals for the project later that year, as ordered by the court.

Now, Moon Camp is back for reconsideration — with updates to the environmental report meant to address habitat and wildfire issues, according to a staff report.

The board is set to vote to certify the environmental impact report to comply with state law and adopt a tentative tract map.

But Steers said she’d really like to see the  San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust be able to purchase the land, which Friends of Big Bear Valley has been working on for the last several years.

“That would be ideal,” Steers said. “Then the developer gets their money, and nothing has to be destroyed, and the land can be protected.”

How to watch and participate in the meeting

The Moon Camp project is the last item on the agenda for the board’s meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

You’ll be able to find a video of the meeting here or here.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on the proposal, you can submit a public comment:

• Online here
• Via email to BoardMeetingComments@cob.sbcounty.gov
• Via snail mail to San Bernardino County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., 2nd Floor, San Bernardino

You can also attend the meeting in person in the Covington Chambers of the Board of Supervisors. The address is: County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave., 1st Floor, San Bernardino.