Overview
- More than 13,000 people had signed a Change.org petition by June 25 asking Big Bear leaders to move or alter the July 4 fireworks to protect the high‑profile eagle family.
- Visit Big Bear and event organizers confirmed the show will proceed from a barge about two miles from the nest, will run under 30 minutes, and will try to reduce the loudest booms.
- Friends of Big Bear Valley reports that two 12‑week‑old eaglets, Sandy and Luna, from a rare second clutch may fledge around July 4 and says sudden explosions and flashes can startle adult eagles and leave young birds vulnerable.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not issued a new 2026 assessment; the agency’s 2025 letter found no risk because last year’s eaglets were already capable of flight.
- The dispute highlights a local tension between protecting wildlife and restoring tourist revenue after a low‑snow winter, and advocates warn that sound can carry across the lake so distance alone may not prevent disturbance.