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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Tuesday plans to list monarch butterflies as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, marking a critical step in preserving the pollinators.
What Are Wildlife Officials Saying?
This decision follows years of advocacy by environmental groups alarmed by the butterfly's dwindling numbers, largely attributed to climate change and habitat loss.
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Wildlife officials plan to add the monarchs, known for their distinctive orange-and-black wings and found across North America, to the threatened species list by the end of next year after an extensive public comment period over conservation efforts.
"The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America, captivating children and adults throughout its fascinating life cycle," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a news release. "Despite its fragility, it is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance. Science shows that the monarch needs that chance, and this proposed listing invites and builds on unprecedented public participation in shaping monarch conservation efforts."
The designation under the Endangered Species Act would bring key protections, such as restrictions on killing, transporting or permanently altering habitats crucial for monarchs.
Exceptions will allow continued use of the butterflies for educational purposes and certain incidental activities like vehicle strikes.
"We want people to continue to raise caterpillars and monarchs in their homes and use them for education," said Lori Nordstrom, assistant regional director for ecological services for the wildlife service's Midwest region.
In addition, the proposal would designate 4,395 acres in seven coastal California counties as critical habitats for monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains, essential for their winter migration. The designation would also prohibit federal agencies from destroying or modifying that habitat. It doesn't prohibit all development, but landowners who need a federal license or permit for a project would have to work with the wildlife service to mitigate damage.
A Decade-Long Fight for Federal Protections
The move to list monarchs as threatened follows nearly a decade of legal battles. The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned for protection in 2014, citing dire declines in monarch populations. After years of delays, a federal settlement filed by the center and won in 2022 mandated the government to decide whether to list monarchs as threatened by September 2024.
George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Biological Diversity, called the decision "a landmark victory, 10 years in the making."
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A Grim Outlook for Monarchs
However, the listing comes as the plight of monarch butterflies is stark. Monarch populations in the eastern U.S. migrate to Mexico for winter, while those in the west travel to the California coast.
Data from World Wildlife Fund Mexico, a branch of the independent global wildlife preservation organization that tracks monarch migration in that country, revealed monarchs occupied just 2.2 acres of their traditional overwintering grounds last year, a 59 percent decline from the previous season.
On the U.S. west coast, the Xerces Society, which collects data from overwintering sites along the California coast, reported an 81 percent decline in monarch numbers over the last 25 years, from 1,235,490 monarchs across 101 sites to just 233,394 over 257 sites last year.
Climate change exacerbates the threats with rising temperatures disrupting migration patterns and diminishing the availability of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar's essential food source. As global temperatures rise, suitable milkweed habitats may shift toward the poles, increasing the distances monarchs must travel.
Kristen Lundh, a biologist with the wildlife service, told The Associated Press that the threatened listing reflects a balance between urgency and the species' overall status, adding that the agency chose to propose listing monarchs as threatened rather than endangered because they're not in immediate danger of becoming extinct across all or a significant portion of their range.
She said Monarchs west of the Rockies have a 95 percent chance of becoming extinct by 2080, but most of the U.S. monarch population—90 percent—can be found east of the Rockies, and that population faces a 57 percent to 74 percent probability of extinction by then.
The proposed listing opens a 90-day public comment period. The wildlife service will consider feedback before making a final determination by December 2025. Conservationists hope the decision will galvanize efforts to preserve the monarch butterfly for future generations.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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