LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors went on record April 23 opposing a proposal to eradicate the mule deer population of Catalina Island by shooting them from helicopters, a proposal being put forth in an effort to protect the island’s ecosystem.
The Catalina Island Conservancy has proposed the operation to eliminate more than 1,770 mule deer from the island, saying 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. A conservancy application to carry out the deer eradication program is still pending before the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
