A judge has tentatively ruled in the Catalina Island Conservancy’s favor on a request by hunting groups and their partners to halt the initial phase of invasive mule deer removal on Catalina Island. A final ruling is expected within 90 days, if not sooner.

Limited deer removal assessment work scheduled throughout September and October, which will impact roughly 200 deer, will proceed while the Conservancy awaits a final ruling.

“Everyone who loves Catalina Island wants the same thing, a safe and healthy island,” said Conservancy Interim President and CEO David Solomon. “For more than 50 years, the Conservancy has worked alongside the community to care for Catalina’s native plants, animals and wild places. We remain committed to protecting the Island we all value so deeply.”

While the legal challenge centers on provisions related to the removal of non-native mule deer, deer management is just one component of Operation Protect Catalina Island, the Conservancy’s broader restoration effort authorized under the permit. The multi-year effort also includes restoring native plants, controlling invasive vegetation, protecting freshwater resources and improving the health and resilience of Catalina’s ecosystem against climate change and wildfire.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the Conservancy’s restoration management permit in January 2026 following years of collaborative planning, scientific review and public engagement. Operation Protect Catalina Island has drawn support from wildfire prevention experts, conservation partners, expert scientists, residents and key stakeholders, including the Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribal Community.

Goals for the Conservancy’s Plan Include:

• Bring Back Native Plants: Collecting wild seeds from Catalina’s native plants, farming them to expand supply and planting them across the Island using methods timed with seasonal rains to restore more fire-resistant vegetation at landscape scale.
• Balance for Native Species: Restoring ecosystem balance by controlling invasive grasses that create wildfire fuel and removing non-native mule deer that feed on young native seedlings and leave habitats vulnerable to erosion, drought, stress and wildfire.
• Healthy Land and Water: Restoring soil and water systems to recharge groundwater, testing native planting methods, treating invasive grasses and monitoring recovery across the Island.

The impact of invasive mule deer on Catalina’s native ecosystem is well documented, and the Conservancy has fully evaluated alternative approaches, none of which proved feasible given Catalina’s size and terrain. Complete removal of the non-native deer population is the only approach authorized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Conservancy remains committed to transparency and continued communication with the Catalina community as the work moves forward.

Current project information, supporting science and this fall’s operations notice are available at catalinaconservancy.org/protect.

The Conservancy is represented by Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP.