In a Jan. 26, 2026, letter, Supervisor Janice Hahn asked the Department of Fish and Wildlife to deny the Catalina Island Conservancy permit application for a restoration plan that would include the eradication of the Island’s deer. Hahn represents Avalon (among other cities) on the County Board of Supervisors. Hahn restated her opposition to deer removal in the letter, which was addressed to the interim head of the state wildlife agency.
Hahn’s letter cited a memo written by Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone, forester and fire warden for the county Fire Department, in her argument that eliminating the deer would increase the risk of wildfires on the Island.
The Hahn letter was made public as a link to a press release announcing her opposition to the Restoration Management Permit. The Islander asked the Conservancy for a comment. The Conservancy’s response cited the same memo to support the Conservancy’s position that the deer consume native plants and contribute to fire risk.
The Marrone memo concludes with a recommendation that the Conservancy manage the deer population.
The Conservancy in October 2025 announced a proposal that Island deer be removed by professional hunters on the ground rather than hunting them from helicopters. The proposal would eliminate the deer over a five-year period. (See “Conservancy has new plan to remove Island deer” at thecatalinaislander.com.)
Below are Hahn’s letter, the Conservancy’s response, and the original Marrone memo (which was provided a link attached to the original Hahn Office press release).
Sections that were rendered in bold in the original documents are rendered in bold below.
Hahn’s letter
Valerie Termini
Interim Director
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
715 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Ms. Termini,
First, I would like to congratulate you on your new role as Interim Director and wish you success as you take over leadership of this important department. I am writing to reiterate my strong opposition to the Restoration Management Permit application submitted by the Catalina Island Conservancy, which proposes the eradication of the island’s mule deer population.
With the exception of the City of Avalon, Santa Catalina Island is unincorporated Los Angeles County and is governed by the Board of Supervisors. The island is part of my district, and in 2024 my colleagues and I voted unanimously to oppose the Conservancy’s previous permit application. My concerns remain unchanged.
While I acknowledge that the Conservancy has abandoned the proposal to use aerial sharpshooting, the revised plan—to systematically eradicate the island’s entire deer population over a five-year period using professional hunters—continues to represent a drastic and inhumane approach. This plan disregards the deeply held values of many Catalina residents and visitors. I continue to hear from my constituents who have lived on the island for decades and have come to cherish these deer. Mule deer have been part of Catalina’s landscape for nearly a century, and their presence has become an important part of the island’s identity.
The Conservancy has recently claimed the deer worsen the threat of wildfires on the island. The evidence shows the exact opposite. Enclosed is a memo I received from Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone outlining his concerns that eliminating the deer could actually raise fire risk. Without deer consistently grazing on vegetation, fuel loads on the island would increase significantly.
We have a responsibility to manage wildlife humanely and to respect the strong public connection to these animals. Many have suggested a pathway forward where a smaller population of deer are preserved and managed more appropriately by the Conservancy. For these reasons, I urge the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to reject this permit application and instead work with the Conservancy on a management strategy that balances environmental stewardship with compassion, transparency, and meaningful public input.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Janice Hahn
Supervisor,
Fourth District County of Los Angeles
Conservancy response
Conservancy Director of Communication Pepe Barton provided the following response to Hahn’s letter. In a letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn cited a memo from L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone about the Conservancy’s island restoration plan that includes non-native deer removal.
The claim uses Chief Marrone’s memo as evidence against deer removal. However, Chief Marrone’s own statement cites that deer browsing drives “vegetation type conversion” from chaparral to invasive plants following disturbances such as wildfire.
Chief Maronne’s memo confirms the ecological problem on Catalina.
He further notes that removal of mule deer would reduce invasive plant seed dispersal and allow vegetation to return toward native conditions, while acknowledging that deer prevent native regeneration by consuming preferred native plants.
The Conservancy agrees.
CAL FIRE designates Catalina Island as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone—its highest risk category.
This is why the Conservancy’s Operation Protect Catalina Island has always focused on a comprehensive strategy of conservation initiatives, habitat restoration, invasive species removal and wildfire prevention under one coordinated effort. The Conservancy’s approach is informed by years of work with fire ecologists, land-management scientists, wildlife biologists and regulatory agencies who understand the realities of Catalina Island.
All alternative options for the non-native mule deer have been thoroughly reviewed and considered.
Wildlife biologists consulted for this project agree that maintaining a small herd of deer on the Island is not a feasible solution. Deer can rapidly multiply. In the 1930s, 10 deer were introduced to the Island, and by 1949, their numbers reached 2,000. Forty-two years of recreational hunting have proved unsuccessful at controlling the deer population and mule deer on Catalina have no natural predators, cannot migrate and reproduce rapidly.
Our ongoing partnership with L.A. County Fire.
The Conservancy proud of our ongoing partnership with L.A. County Fire. Eleven Conservancy staff are trained as wildland firefighters and equipped to assist under L.A. County’s leadership. In 2025, our crews reduced brush on more than 700 acres, treated highly flammable invasive plants across 160+ acres, established county-required defensible space around camps and coves, and maintained 165 miles of roads and trails that double as firebreaks and critical access for firefighters.
Community transparency
The Catalina Island Conservancy understands the connection that some have to the non-native mule deer on Catalina. We’ve hosted forums, events and conversations with the Island community to gather feedback, and the message was clear: no aerial shooting of non-native mule deer. In response, the Conservancy shifted to ground-based management by trained specialists under strict safety protocols.
The scientific record is publicly available.
The Conservancy has made its data, expert analyses, project plans and letters of support publicly available at catalinaconservancy.org/protect so the full scientific record is accessible to everyone.
Operation Protect Catalina Island is a comprehensive, long-term plan developed under scientific oversight.
This project was never about simply removing non-native mule deer, but truly protecting Catalina’s future, its people, livelihoods, freshwater sources, its tourism economy and native wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. This requires difficult and responsible action now.
Fire Chief Marrone memo
To: The Honorable Janice Hahn Supervisor, Fourth District
Mule Deer Management On Catalina Island
From: Anthony C. Marrone, Fire Chief
This memorandum outlines the key facts, operational considerations, and recommended course of action regarding mule deer management on Catalina Island, with a focus on ecosystem impacts, wildfire behavior, and fuels management.
Background
Mule deer are a non-native species on Catalina Island. Scientific research indicates that mule deer browsing can influence vegetation dynamics, particularly following disturbance events such as wildfire. Fire return intervals of less than seven years significantly increase the likelihood of vegetation type conversion from chaparral to grassland.
The most recent large wildfire on the island was the Island Fire in 2007. While grass fuels are considered more receptive to ignition and rapid spread, they generate a significantly lower Energy Release Component (ERC) than chaparral fuels and are generally more manageable during suppression operations.
Ecological Considerations
Catalina Island supports a unique ecosystem with native and endemic plant and animal species. In the island’s natural condition, the island fox serves as the apex predator, preying on smaller native mammals. Removal of mule deer would reduce invasive plant seed dispersal and allow vegetation communities to trend toward native conditions. If mule deer are removed, the introduced bison would remain the only non-native large herbivore on the island.
However, mule deer browsing also impacts native vegetation. Highly palatable native species are preferentially consumed, potentially inhibiting regeneration and facilitating the spread of invasive plants. Without population control, deer numbers may increase, exacerbating vegetation type conversion following disturbance events.
Fire and Fuels Management Considerations
From a wildfire risk perspective, complete removal of mule deer presents operational concerns.
In the absence of herbivory, chaparral fuel loads would increase, resulting in higher tons per acre and elevated ERC values. Fuel age classes exceeding 25 years are extremely difficult to manage during wildfire incidents and significantly increase suppression complexity. ‘
Increased fuel loading would elevate wildfire risk to developed areas, particularly in Avalon and other locations where heavy fuels are present within 200 feet of structures. Conversely, maintaining a reduced mule deer population can provide a measurable reduction in understory vegetation and seedling establishment, moderating fuel continuity and, under certain conditions, improving firefighting effectiveness depending on weather, fuels, and topography.
Conclusion
Both ecological integrity and wildfire risk must be considered in mule deer management decisions.
An actively managed population provides the most balanced approach, limiting long-term vegetation type conversion while helping moderate fuel loading in proximity to communities.
If mule deer are fully removed, additional long-term costs would be incurred to implement and maintain a comprehensive fuels management program, particularly adjacent to developed areas.
Active population management represents a lower-cost alternative with measurable fire risk reduction benefits.
Recommendations
Based on these considerations, it is recommended that land managers determine an appropriate ecological balance through an actively managed mule deer population. Population regulation should focus on minimizing type conversion and long-term habitat change, with particular emphasis on removing female does as the most effective population management strategy.
If a decision is made to remove all mule deer from the island, a comprehensive fuels management program should be implemented, especially in areas adjacent to development and human occupancy.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (323) 881-6180.
