LOS ANGELES—A proposed plan to shoot Catalina deer from helicopters to reduce the island’s deer population has been scrapped, the Los Angeles County Fish and Wildlife Commission announced May 29.
In a special meeting Wednesday morning, the commission decided to rework plans to address the more than 1,770 mule deer on the island. The Catalina Island Conservancy had originally proposed the helicopter shooting operation because the animals are devouring native plants into extinction, potentially leading to long-term ecological damage that could leave the island more vulnerable to wildfires when more fire-prone vegetation thrives.
