Catalina Island Conservancy Proposes Deer Cull to Save Native Plants

The Catalina Island Conservancy, a nonprofit that owns 88% of the 75-square-mile island, has concluded that the only way to save native plants and restore the island is to get rid of the deer.
The conservancy has proposed slaughtering the deer with rifles from helicopters, over seven weeks next summer.
The deer, introduced nearly a century ago, are now numbering 2,000 and are mowing through the native plants, causing soil erosion and allowing flammable shrubs and grasses to proliferate.
The conservancy's plan has sparked outrage among many of the 3,000 residents of Avalon, a resort community on the outskirts of the conservancy’s land, who have staged protests and signed petitions.
The conservancy still needs approval from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is reviewing the plan.