Friends,
They’re doing it again.
The Catalina Island Conservancy and their butchers, White Buffalo, Inc., have revived their plan to wipe out every mule deer on Catalina Island.
They’ve rebranded their failed 2023 “Scientific Collecting Permit” as a new Restoration Management Permit (RMP) to sneak around environmental review laws and public oversight.
But don’t be fooled.
The plan still includes:
💥 Helicopter-assisted killing (“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 deer for “dispatch”
💥 Killing operations inside Avalon city limits, in direct violation of the local ordinance that you helped win
This slaughter would drag on for AT LEAST five years. And they’re calling it “restoration.” We’ve been here before — and we stopped them once. When the Conservancy tried to use a Scientific Collecting Permit in 2023, you raised your voices, and the permit was withdrawn.
Now they’re back, counting on public exhaustion and silence.
We cannot — and will not — let that happen.
HERE ARE FOUR EASY THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY TO STOP THIS BRUTAL AND UNNECESSARY SLAUGHTER!
✅ #1. SHOW UP TOMORROW – WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12 @ 5:00 PM, Trailhead Visitor Center, Avalon
The Conservancy is holding a “Community Conversation” to sell this plan to the public. Be there. Ask questions. Make your voices heard.
✅ #2. SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT
Our letter writing campaign was absolutely key to the success of our movement last time. Send a short (or long) email to the government officials that are making the critical decisions that will determine the fate of these deer. Let them know who you are and how you feel about this plan.
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND OTHER IMPORTANT CALIFORNIA STATE DECISION-MAKERS
Please let the decision-makers know that an action this extreme with such sweeping consequences for a cherished California wildlife resource should not be authorized through a fast-track process that evades CEQA and shuts out public involvement. Write one email and include everyone in the list below. Make sure to copy us at savecatalinadeer@gmail.com so that we can keep these public servants accountable. Decision-makers are:
- Charlton “Chuck” Bonham – Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Chuck.Bonham@wildlife.ca.gov
- Valerie Termini – Chief Deputy Director, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Valerie.Termini@wildlife.ca.gov
- Wendy Bogdan – General Counsel, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Wendy.Bogdan@wildlife.ca.gov
- Scott Gardner – Branch Chief, Wildlife Branch, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Scott.Gardner@wildlife.ca.gov
- Erinn Wilson-Olgin – Regional Manager, Region 5 (South Coast Region), California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Erinn.Wilson-Olgin@wildlife.ca.gov
- Hans Sin – Wildlife Biologist, Region 5 (South Coast Region), California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Hans.Sin@wildlife.ca.gov
- Chad Dibble – Deputy Director, Ecosystem Conservation Division, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Chad.Dibble@wildlife.ca.gov
- Brad Henderson – Environmental Program Manager, Cutting the Green Tape Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Brad.Henderson@wildlife.ca.gov
- Wade Crowfoot – Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency – Wade.Crowfoot@resources.ca.gov
- Governor Gavin Newsom – Governor of California – governor@governor.ca.gov
- Janice Hahn – Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fourth District – FourthDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov
- Josh Lowenthal – Assemblymember, 69th District – assemblymember.lowenthal@assembly.ca.gov
- Lena Gonzalez – State Senator, 33rd District – senator.gonzalez@senate.ca.gov
CITY OF AVALON
Please let the Avalon City Council and the city manager know that you want them to stand firm and defend the city ordinance protecting wildlife within city limits that was passed unanimously in 2023 in direct response to the community's outcry over the Conservancy's plans to slaughter deer in town. Make sure to copy us at savecatalinadeer@gmail.com so that we can keep these public servants accountable.
- Councilmember Yesenia S. De La Rosa ysdelarosa@cityofavalon.com
- Councilmember Mary Schickling mschickling@cityofavalon.com
- Councilmember Lisa Lavelle llavelle@cityofavalon.com
- Councilmember Michael Ponce mponce@cityofavalon.com
- Mayor Annie Marshall amarshall@cityofavalon.com
- City Manager David Maistros dmaistros@cityofavalon.com
✅ #3. GET THE WORD OUT
Share this petition and update on your social media.
Tag the Conservancy, @catalinaislandconservancy, and use:
#SaveCatalinaDeer #StopTheKill #CatalinaConservancy
Every share brings new eyes — and new voices.
✅ #4. STAY TUNED
We will keep you posted here. More actions are coming soon and we need all hands on deck. Please watch your inboxes.
Thank you, supporters! Suit up — the fight for Catalina’s deer starts again now.