Biodiversity advocates on Tuesday welcomed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “long-awaited” move to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity says the change is the result of a lawsuit filed by several groups to protect pollinators. and their fragile habitat.
FWS proposed listing the butterfly as an endangered species four years after it was placed on the conservation waiting list.
“For too long, monarch butterflies have been waiting in line for new protection as their population plummets. With this announcement from the Fish and Wildlife Service, this iconic butterfly will receive the protection it needs. “Given the approaching numbers and the staggering decline in their numbers, that can’t happen soon enough,” said Steve Blackledge, Environment America’s senior director of conservation campaigns.
Monarch butterflies travel each spring from Mexico to points across the United States east of the Rocky Mountains to pollinate and breed. When cooler weather arrives, they return south for the winter.
But federal scientists say their population has declined by more than 95 percent from more than 4.5 million in the 1980s, giving the western wolf a 99 percent chance of extinction within the next 60 years.
This decline is due to the widespread use of herbicides such as Roundup on milkweed, the monarch’s only food source, and the use of neonicotinoid insecticides. Additionally, millions of monarch butterflies die each year from being hit by cars while migrating, and their winter habitat faces loss of forest due to logging.
“The Monarch butterfly is an iconic species in North America, and like other iconic species like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, it deserves a chance for recovery.”
Rising temperatures also impeded monarch breeding and migration, with warmer weather tricking monarchs into staying in the north later this year.
“This species has been in decline for years,” FWS biologist Kristen Lund told The Washington Post. “We want this to be a reminder to everyone that this species is in decline, and now is your chance to help reverse that decline.”
While the number of monarch butterflies in the West has declined to an estimated 233,394, experts say there are millions of monarch butterflies in the East.
“The protections associated with the Endangered Species Act’s listing will allow these valuable pollinators to grow throughout their historic range,” said Andrew Carter, director of conservation policy at Defenders of Wildlife. “This increases the chances of recovery and recovery.” “The Monarch butterfly is an iconic species in North America, and like other iconic species like the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, it deserves a chance for recovery.”
FWS also proposes to designate 4,395 acres of monarch butterfly wintering grounds as critical habitat.
Once butterfly protections are finalized, a process that could be completed by the end of 2025, landowners will need to get federal approval for any development that could harm the monarch.
In his first term, President-elect Donald Trump weakened the Endangered Species Act and limited the definition of “critical habitat.”
“Today’s decision to list Monarch is a landmark victory in over a decade,” said George Kimbrel, legal director at the Center for Food Safety. It also sets an abhorrent precedent.” . “But the job is not done yet… The service must do what the science and law require and quickly finalize protection for the monarch.”
