Los Angeles County’s Counsel urged the Catalina Island Conservancy to alter its mule deer eradication plan, describing current plans to shoot them as “unnecessarily violent” and a “disregard for critical wildfire safety.”
Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the Catalina Island Conservancy’s restoration management permit to kill and sterilize the hundreds of invasive mule deer on the island to preserve its natural habitat. Under the plan, the mule deer will be removed by ground-based professionals with rifles who will have support in the form of drones, aerial net-capture and detection dogs over the course of five years.
In her letter, LA County Counsel Dawyn Harrison called the plan “inhumane and deeply distressing,” urging the conservancy to sterilize the animals instead of killing them.
“We strongly urge a pivot toward prioritizing humane sterilization, followed by expanded public hunting permits and physical relocation,” Harrison said in her letter. “Proceeding with a five-year mass slaughter without a definitive, peer-reviewed population survey is scientifically reckless and erodes all public trust.”
The deer were introduced to the island in the 1920s as game species to hunt. Since they have no natural predators on the island, there has been concern that they’re destroying native plants found only on Catalina Island.
However, Harrison insisted the removal of the deer could threaten human life since they would no longer be there to graze on dry shrubs, which could increase wildfire danger. She cites LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone’s warning of the dangers of the deer’s removal in her letter.
Plans to eradicate the species are part of a restoration project by the Catalina Island Conservancy to restore and protect the island’s native plants and species.
On Jan. 7, Marrone sent a letter to LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, making recommendations for mule deer management on Catalina Island. The fire chief said completely removing the deer could increase fuel loads in the form of dry shrubs. However, the chief also acknowledged that keeping a reduced population of the deer could help maintain vegetation.
Hahn, in a statement released Tuesday, said she also opposes the conservancy’s restoration management permit plan as it is. She instead called for a controlled, reduced population of the animals.
NBCLA has reached out to the Catalina Island Conservancy for comment.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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