A Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit on Monday, Sept. 28, challenging the Catalina Island Conservancy’s plan to remove the island’s mule deer and restore native habitat. The ruling clears the legal challenge brought by a coalition of hunting and wildlife advocacy groups, though it does not rule out an appeal. The Conservancy announced the decision Monday.
The lawsuit challenged approval of the project by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). The groups argued that the state had not conducted adequate environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act and had failed to properly consider alternatives to eliminating the deer, including regulated hunting. According to the Conservancy, the court rejected the groups’ claims concerning the state’s environmental notice and CDFW’s authority to approve the plan.
The decision follows a Sept. 3 ruling that denied the groups’ request to pause the project while the lawsuit proceeded. The coalition had sought to stop deer removal, arguing that the state’s review and the Conservancy’s plans warranted closer scrutiny.
The deer dispute has become the most visible part of the Conservancy’s broader Protect Catalina initiative. Mule deer were introduced to the island for hunting nearly a century ago. The Conservancy says their grazing prevents native plants from recovering and allows invasive grasses to spread. Its long-term plan pairs deer removal with reseeding and replanting native vegetation, controlling invasive plants and protecting soil and freshwater resources. It aims to improve habitat for species including the Catalina Island fox and shrew while restoring oak woodlands and rare Catalina ironwood groves.
CDFW approved a restoration management permit in January 2026, authorizing complete removal of the island’s mule deer. The department also determined that the Catalina Island Restoration Project qualifies for a statutory exemption for restoration projects under CEQA. The Conservancy maintains that it considered other approaches but found none workable across Catalina’s landscape. Opponents have disputed both that conclusion and the decision to use the restoration exemption instead of a fuller environmental review.
“Catalina Island is the last of the Channel Islands to take this important step, and the Conservancy is committed to giving Catalina’s native landscape the chance to recover,” said Pepe Barton, the Conservancy’s director of communications, in its announcement of the ruling.
The work also has immediate implications for people visiting Catalina’s interior. The Conservancy has posted a September-through-October operations notice for the Middle Ranch area, where wildlife management crews are scheduled to work during evening and overnight hours. Hiking and biking in the affected area are restricted from 90 minutes before sunset until 90 minutes after sunrise; Black Jack Campground is listed as remaining open. Visitors should check the Conservancy’s current operations notice and map before traveling through the area.
