We are residents of Catalina Island, which is located 21 miles off the coast of Southern California.
WHO ARE WE
The Catalina Island Conservancy had applied to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for a Permit which would have allowed the Conservancy to use AR-15 rifles from helicopters to kill 100% of the Catalina Island mule deer. They planned to leave the majority of the dead carcasses to rot where they lay. It’s as horrendous as it sounds.
WHY WE ARE HERE
After our communities long hard fought fight, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife officially denied the Catalina Island Conservancy’s request for a “Scientific Collection” permit to use AR-15 rifles from helicopters to eradicate the mule deer population on Catalina Island.
In response, the Conservancy has filed a new “Restoration Management Permit” application to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to bring in another form of helicopter assisted killing, using aerial platforms for detection, pursuit and dispatch. Net guns, drive nets and drop nets to entangle and trap terrified deer. Trained dogs to chase, corner and flush out the deer for “dispatch”.
These individuals the Catalina Island Conservancy has hired from White Buffalo are not ordinary hunters that harvest and feed their families with the meat. Their sole purpose is to kill the deer and dispose of their bodies.
STOP the Catalina Island Conservancy’s $10 million dollar contract with the brutal deer management company - White Buffalo, Inc. Go to this link to watch the video of unethical practices (warning, this video is graphic).
At the June 19, 2018 Avalon City Council Meeting, Tony Budrovich, former President and CEO of the Catalina Island Conservancy stated "We've worked with a variety of people in the scientific community and they have established that the island would probably very easily carry 500 deer. That seems like the right number for 48,000 acres”. Click on this link to hear Tony in his own words.
TWO PEOPLE CAN STOP THE CONSERVANCY FROM KILLING 100% OF THE THE DEER ON THE CATALINA
Please write Governor Gavin Newsom, asking him to oppose the Catalina Island Conservancy’s plan. In addition to Governor Newsom, I am encouraging you to write to Alison Wrigley Rusack/Benfactor of the Catalina Island Conservancy. Click on their names above to link to their email.
FACTS MATTER! (go to the Facts Matter menu) Explore documentation that shows serious concerns around the Conservancy’s plan. Money and power are trying to silence the community of Avalon, Visitors and over 129,660 people who have signed petitions against this atrocity. Go to “Join in This Cause” on the top menu to sign the petitions.
When considering ways to address the deer population on Catalina Island, it is crucial to explore various strategies that are both effective and humane.
“Deer Fencing” around native vegetation
“Managing” the size of the herd