U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends adding monarch butterflies to endangered species list

After rapid population decline in recent decades, the monarch butterfly could soon have federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

With its orange and black markings, the monarch is perhaps the most recognizable butterfly. It’s also known for being a key pollinator and for long-distance migration.

“It is part of the childhood of many Americans and its decline is a barometer of what is happening to biodiversity in general,” David James, a monarch researcher at Washington State University, said in an email.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input on a proposal to list the species as threatened, the agency said Tuesday in a news release.

The designation would have species-specific protections to encourage conservation. Public comments will be accepted on the proposal until March 12. Fish and Wildlife will then evaluate the comments and any additional information on the species and determine whether to list the monarch butterfly.

In North America, monarchs are grouped into two populations. The eastern migratory population is the largest and overwinters in the mountains of central Mexico. The western population, divided from the East by the Rockies, primarily overwinters in coastal California. In the summer, they migrate inland and north as far as southern British Columbia.

In the 1980s, over 4.5 million monarchs wintered in California. The western population has declined by more than 95% since then, putting the western monarch at greater than 99% chance of extinction by 2080, according to Fish and Wildlife’s most recent species status assessment.

Fish and Wildlife first considered listing the species back in 2014. With increased public awareness, citizens and organizations have done a lot to restore habitat from parklands and reserves to backyards, James said.

Beyond that work, James said he is not sure that listing the species will help much.

The monarch faces three main threats: habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. The listing would only help with habitat, James said.

The listing may allow more funding for habitat restoration and protection for overwintering sites in California. Another positive, James said, is that the proposal would not prevent individuals from raising monarchs, which is banned in California.

People can help the monarch recover by growing native milkweed and other flowering pants, even in tiny gardens, James said. And don’t use pesticides.

“The Monarch is one of the most resilient and adaptable insects,” James said. “It won’t go down without a fight and we can certainly help it!”

Monarchs are rare in the Spokane area since they normally follow the Snake, Yakima and Columbia rivers to south-central parts of the state. Last summer was a mysterious exception, when dozens of sightings were reported.

Sightings were down again this year, but that fluctuation is natural, James said.

Across the Pacific Northwest, monarchs were doing well until mid-August when the population appeared to collapse, judging from sightings.

“We are unsure what caused this collapse but most likely it was an overabundance of predators exacerbated perhaps by above normal temperatures,” James said.

As a result, fewer monarchs returned to California, where counts indicate this year’s population will likely be the second lowest on record, he said.

Glenn Marangelo, development director for the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium in Missoula, praised Fish and Wildlife’s decision to move forward with the listing.

“Honestly, it’s about time,” Marangelo said.

Although the butterfly conservatory doesn’t keep monarchs in captivity, Marangelo frequently gives talks about them. The organization has also assisted with tagging studies in Western Montana where the butterflies can be hard to find.

“It’s a really complicated issue because it’s not just one thing impacting their populations,” Marangelo said.

Although many people are already helping to conserve the butterfly, Fish and Wildlife said additional habitat and protections are needed. The agency proposes to designate 4,395 acres of critical habitat for the monarch in California.

“Despite its fragility, it is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement. “Science shows that the monarch needs that chance, and this proposed listing invites and builds on unprecedented public participation in shaping monarch conservation efforts.”

For more information about the monarch listing proposal, and how to help conserve monarch butterflies, visit fws.gov/monarch.