Action Plans to Create Balance for Native Species

Non-native plants and wildlife disrupt Catalina’s natural balance. Invasive grasses rebound quickly after fire, creating more fuel, while invasive deer feed on young native seedlings before they can recover. Over time, this weakens soils, depletes the natural supply of native seeds and leaves habitats more vulnerable to erosion, drought stress and more frequent wildfires.

Our Approach

Catalina’s ecosystems need active management to restore balance and resilience. We’re controlling invasive plants and removing non-native mule deer, deploying advanced monitoring tools to track habitat recovery and protecting rare native species.

Other Methods to Locate Deer

Detection Dogs

• Detection dogs do just that: They will be trained to smell deer scent in the air and alert their human handler, usually by stopping, “pointing” or barking. Once a deer is detected, the dog moves toward the deer so it walks into the open, where trained staff can respond safely. Dogs will be trained to only detect deer, avoid other animals and will be fully vaccinated prior to coming to the Island.

Drone Assistance

• Teams may use special scopes and drones to spot deer at night. These tools help locate deer in canyons or on ridgelines that are hard to see otherwise. Drones are for visual assistance only and do not shoot deer.

Aerial Netting

• Often used in wildlife management, aerial netting uses a helicopter to locate deer in hard-to-reach areas. Trained staff deploy a lightweight net to capture the animal so it can be handled quickly and humanely on the ground. No animals are dispatched from the air.

Tranquilizers

• In the final phase of the plan, trained wildlife staff may use tranquilizer darts to sedate deer. This is done without firearms, and only by certified professionals following strict veterinary and animal welfare guidelines. It’s not a primary method, but allows safe, quiet removal and sterilization near town without firearms.

Sentinel Animals (animals that help find other animals)

• In the late stages of the project, select deer will be darted, sterilized and released in both Avalon and the wildlands. These sentinel animals are non-reproducing and help conservation staff detect and locate any remaining deer on the landscape.

Breaking the Cycle

Why Invasives Intensify Wildfire Risk

Recent wildfires on the mainland are a stark reminder of how quickly wind-driven flames can escalate in dry, steep terrain. Today, ecosystems dominated by invasive and highly flammable annual grasses make up roughly 35% of Catalina Island’s landscape, creating the risk for a damaging fire cycle.

Think of this cycle like a bad habit: the more it happens, the harder it is to break.

After a fire, invasive grasses rebound quickly, like weeds in a garden, crowding out the slower-growing native plants that help resist future burns. Invasive deer accelerate this process by grazing down native seedlings, clearing the way for even more invasive grass to spread. This has been proven by independent research on Catalina Island after the 2007 Island Fire.

This dry, fast-burning fuel leads to hotter, more frequent and destructive fires, which in turn allow even more invasives to take hold. This self-reinforcing pattern is known as a positive feedback loop, and the longer it continues, the harder it becomes to stop.️‍

CAL FIRE designates Catalina Island as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone-its highest risk category.

DEER REMOVAL METHODS THAT WILL NOT BE USED

Based on community feedback and wildlife restrictions, the following methods were carefully considered but are ruled out due to lack of feasibility, community concerns, safety issues and importantly, state regulations. All decisions reflect science, animal welfare and ecosystem integrity.

• No to aerial sharpshooters – Though most effective, we removed this method based on community feedback and shifted to ground-based specialists using rifles in controlled operations under strict safety protocols. Lethal removal will occur in phases as part of a multi-year effort.
• No to relocation – Moving island mule deer to the mainland poses disease-transmission risks, is inhumane and often results in death and suffering due to fatal capture stress. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Chuck Bonham specifically said this would not be feasible during a June 19, 2024, Fish and Game Commission meeting. The state tried this on Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay area in the 1980s, where 85% of the deer died within the first year after relocation.
• No to contraception – This is not feasible at Catalina’s scale. Delivering and re-administering contraceptives to more than 2,000 deer across 48,000 rugged acres is logistically impossible. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Chuck Bonham specifically said this would not be feasible islandwide, during a June 19, 2024, Fish and Game Commission meeting.
• No to recreational hunting – The Conservancy has chosen to host California’s longest hunting season for over 40 years. In 2024, we issued 754 tags. Only 379 deer were harvested, at a $250,000+ financial loss and increased reports of safety issues due to more hunters on the landscape. Deer populations often respond to hunting pressure with increased birth and survival rates, making it difficult to reduce overall numbers through hunting alone, even with large harvests. The latest deer survey shows approximately 2,165 individuals, the most since 2016.
• No to fencing – Impractical on 48,000 acres of rugged terrain. Would require constant repairs, risk concentrating deer into areas like Avalon, and worsen competition for food and water. State regulators would never approve confining deer to smaller areas.
• No to introducing predators – This would create risk to humans and rare, endemic wildlife like the Catalina Island fox. California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Chuck Bonham specifically said this would not be feasible, during a June 19, 2024, Fish and Game Commission meeting.