CATALINA ISLAND — A Los Angeles County judge issued a final ruling on Thursday denying a preliminary injunction filed by opponents of a plan to remove mule deer from Catalina Island. The decision clears the way for the Catalina Island Conservancy to proceed with killing nearly all of the approximately 2,000 mule deer on the island as part of a five-year restoration plan.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the conservancy's plan in January. A Los Angeles County judge had tentatively rejected opponents' attempt to block the cull on Tuesday before issuing the final denial two days later.

The plan aims to eliminate most of the deer population over five years. An estimated 200 deer are expected to be hunted with rifles over the next two months. Island residents will be allowed one final hunting season from late October through mid-December.

Mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island by hunters for sport about a century ago. In 1928, two mule deer were brought to Catalina Island, and eight more were brought two years later under a permit issued by the State Division of Fish and Game. Four decades of recreational hunting failed to meaningfully shrink the deer herd.

The conservancy controls 88% of Catalina Island. It determined that contraception and sterilization were not feasible for the large deer population. The conservancy also rejected fencing off the animals and introducing predators due to dangers to native wildlife and residents.

Anna L. Jacobsen, a plant biologist at California State University, Bakersfield, stated that deer consumption of native shrubs has allowed invasive grasses to take over parts of the island. Invasive annual grasses now dominate 35% of Catalina Island’s ecosystems. Invasive grasses ignite more easily and allow flames to spread faster than the native vegetation they replace.

Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist, stated that removing the deer was the most practical option from ecological and fire-prevention perspectives. Pepe Barton, the conservancy’s communications director, said killing the deer was "never our first choice."

A small group of deer living near Avalon will be spared and sterilized. Deer meat will be donated to local tribal groups or used in California condor recovery programs. Carcasses found near roads and hiking trails will be removed, while those in steep or dangerous terrain may be left to decompose naturally.

An online petition seeking to halt the cull has collected more than 32,000 signatures. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn asked Governor Gavin Newsom to intervene in the plan. She sent a letter to Newsom on Monday asking him to suspend or revoke the permit before the killing begins.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Tony Marrone warned that removing the deer could increase wildfire danger. Hahn cited Santa Rosa Island, where a wildfire burned more than 18,000 acres earlier this year after the deer population was eliminated. "Santa Rosa Island is unpopulated, but Catalina is home to nearly 4,000 people, with thousands more visitors," Hahn said.

Hahn criticized the state Department of Fish and Wildlife for approving the permit with an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act. "There are alternatives, and we should exhaust them before making an irreversible decision," she said. "Tomorrow, these deer could begin to be killed, and once they are gone, they are gone forever." Catalina Island is the last of the Channel Islands to remove non-native deer species.

Why It Matters

The removal of the deer population represents an ecological intervention on an island where non-native species have altered the landscape for a century. The conservancy argues that the cull is necessary to restore native vegetation and reduce wildfire risk posed by invasive grasses, which now cover a substantial portion of the island. Supporters view the action as a practical measure to protect the ecosystem after other management strategies failed.

Opponents say total eradication is unnecessary and poses new risks to the populated island. They point to warnings from local fire officials and precedents on other islands where deer removal preceded large wildfires. The debate centers on whether a managed herd could achieve ecological goals without eliminating the animals entirely, and whether the state should intervene to explore alternatives before the cull begins.

What's New

Hahn wrote to Newsom, "Please suspend or revoke this permit and give California the opportunity to take another look at whether total eradication is truly necessary -- and whether we can protect Catalina's ecosystem without eliminating its deer." Hahn said, "Tomorrow, these deer could begin to be killed, and once they are gone, they are gone forever." Hahn said, "Governor Newsom can still stop this, and I am asking him to act."