December is for the birds—at least insomuch as the Municipal Water District’s boat launch ramps are concerned. As of today, December 1, and through March 31, both the Carol Morrison East Boat Launch Ramp, on the North Shore at Stanfield Cutoff, and the Duane Boyer West Boat Launch Ramp, just west of Fawnskin, on Big Bear Lake are closed to boats and vehicles, per an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, which designates these areas as a sensitive eagle habitat. During the winter months, American Bald Eagles come to Big Bear, as lakes within the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains are along the Pacific Migratory Flyway for millions of ducks, which are food for the eagles. The U.S. Forest Service conducts eagle counts in the Big Bear Valley during the winter months, as they have done since 1978, and last winter season’s final count resulted in five eagles for our area. In the 1983/84 season, as many as 28 eagles were spotted in the Big Bear Lake and Baldwin Lake areas.
