Here's what's next for the land bought by Big Bear’s $10 million fundraiser as Jackie recovers

A SoCal land trust has officially purchased nearly 63 acres of land near Big Bear’s famous bald eagle nest for permanent preservation.

Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust successfully raised more than $10 million in less than six months through thousands of small donations and one big check, the groups announced last week. A surge in donations came amid public interest in the fate of Jackie, who continues to recuperate after getting into an altercation with other eagles.

There are several signs that the eagle receiving care is Jackie, but we’ve cautioned that we can’t be 100% certain it’s her since Jackie isn’t banded. However, Friends of Big Bear Valley believes it to be the famed raptor, which is why you’ll see us refer to the rescued eagle as Jackie in this story.

The land, tucked away along the north shore of Big Bear Lake, was supposed to be turned into a housing project called Moon Camp — at least until now.

The tree-lined acres will remain largely untouched for the rare plants and wildlife who live in the area, including Jackie and Shadow and the chicks they raise during nesting seasons, according to officials.

Jenny Voisard, Friends of Big Bear Valley spokesperson, told LAist the land is important for all wildlife as it’s an “ecological corridor” that connects the lake to the forest.

“The environment is getting increasingly fragmented and being able to preserve that does so much,” she said. “It helps the flying squirrels, it helps the 17 acres of rare and endemic plants that exist nowhere else in the world. It gives a passageway for wildlife.”

How we got here

The “Save Moon Camp” fundraiser was a historic effort for Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs the popular YouTube livestream of Jackie and Shadow’s nest.

Fans from around the world sent more than 25,000 small donations, including California elementary school classes who raised money for the eagles and a $20,000 gift that arrived with a handwritten letter of support. Those donations made up about half of the total fundraising goal.

“The kids especially — they get it,” she said, adding that they’ve been moved to tears by notes from parents and teachers. “And they have just been amazing.”

The other roughly $5.5 million came from Anna and Greg Brockman, the latter of which is the president and co-founder of OpenAI. Anna Brockman is a huge fan of the eagle livestream and loves watching Jackie and Shadow, according to Voisard.

“We are so appreciative of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust and everyone who came together to preserve this incredible ecosystem, the life it will help sustain, and the forest that will be protected for generations to come,” Anna Brockman said in a statement last week.

Preserving the land has been decades in the making. Sandy Steers, the late executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, pushed back against the proposed housing development for years, including in court and to county officials. Steers died the week before the fundraiser launched, which officials said was now being held in her honor.

What happens next?

The plan is no longer to have the acres be protected under the U.S. Forest Service, as Friends of Big Bear Valley initially hoped. Some fans shared concerns about the state of the agency under President Donald Trump. Specifically, Voisard said there was a recent change to the Endangered Species Act that could affect how habitats are protected.

“The Land Trust and Friends of Big Bear Valley didn't feel that it made sense to transfer the land over to the USFS at that point,” she said.

The acres will instead be protected by the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust for perpetuity. It’s no stranger to the preservation process, having helped conserve more than 15,000 acres of land since it was founded in 1995, according to the organization.

The proposed project site can be seen from the nest livestream.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley

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Access to the area around Jackie and Shadow's nest is restricted in Big Bear Valley on June 13, 2026.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the Moon Camp site is the last undisturbed shoreline left on the lake, and preserving it helps protect Jackie and Shadow, as well as the more than 250 other bird species flying through the Big Bear area.

That could be especially important if, or when, Jackie is ready to return to the nest.

“She gets to come back and it won't be different, they won't be starting construction on anything,” she said. “Provided she gets to come back to Shadow and us.”