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Operation Protect Catalina Island combines conservation initiatives, habitat restoration and wildfire prevention under one coordinated effort to help establish healthy land and water, bring back native plants and create balance for native species. Together, we can protect the people, livelihoods and native wildlife that depend on one of the most unique places on Earth.

The Catalina Island Conservancy’s goal is to restore balance across Catalina’s ecosystems by managing invasive species, removing deer impacts and protecting rare and native wildlife so the Island can once again thrive. Deer removal is central to that goal. Mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island in the early 1930s (before the Conservancy existed) as a game species for hunting by the
state. They are not native to the Island. As an invasive animal, the mule deer destroy native and endemic vegetation only found on Catalina
Island, which evolved without defense mechanisms against mule deer and outside threats. The deer prefer these plants for a food source as
opposed to invasive plant species.
The deer have no natural predators, so their population goes through extreme boom and bust cycles, ranging from 500 animals to 1,800+
depending on the amount of rainfall. The mule deer are considered wildlife and are managed by the state. There are very strict wildlife laws
in place for this species and feeding them is illegal as it further promotes more extreme boom and bust population cycles and increases the
likelihood of animal-human disease transfer.
Non-native species have long overgrazed the land on Catalina Island, destroying natural habitats along with the vegetation that’s needed
to support native wildlife and help prevent soil erosion, and capture water on the landscape.
Deer are suffering on the Island from thirst and starvation (they are at 8—10x the density as they are on mainland). Deer encounters with
people in Catalina’s inhabited communities (Avalon and Two Harbors) are common, and fawns are often found dead in the streets because
of their desperation for food. Catalina’s deer population is also devastating the Island’s fragile ecosystem as they struggle to survive.
The situation has become untenable for the deer and for the Island’s ecology, leaving the Island at a watershed moment. After consulting
with CDFW, it has been determined that a deer removal program needs to be undertaken as part of an overall plan to revive the Island’s
ecosystem, ensuring that we pass on a healthy and sustainable Island for future generations to enjoy.
Following is an outline of the various methods that have been explored for the removal of the deer and the final determinations on
suitability of methods, based on the Island’s specific challenges and case studies of other island eradications around the world.

Global organizations, local residents, elected leaders and scientists all stand behind the Conservancy’s mission to protect this unique island by establishing healthy land and water, bringing back native plants and creating balance for native species by removing invasive mule deer.

Native plants provide essential habitat for wildlife and crowd out invasive grasses that fuel dangerous blazes. They are nature’s best firefighters. Evergreen leaves capture moisture from fog, roots stabilize soil and shelter seeds, and many species rebound quickly after fire. The Catalina Island Conservancy is restoring Catalina’s natural defenses by returning native plants to the landscape and rebuilding ecosystems. That includes strategic seed collection, seed farming, reducing invasive grasses that crowd them out and landscape-scale seed planting timed with seasonal rains.

Strong soil prevents erosion, anchors native plants and helps them capture and hold water into the land of Catalina Island. Those plants then help replenish groundwater, which also contributes to Avalon’s freshwater supply. The Catalina Island Conservancy is rebuilding Catalina’s natural defenses by restoring soil and water systems. We’ll start with a pilot restoration area for testing before expanding, treating invasive grasses and tracking recovery across the Island.