Federal wildlife officials are proposing to place the monarch butterfly on the endangered species list to promote public awareness and recovery efforts as the population continues to decline.
“The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America, captivating children and adults throughout its fascinating lifecycle,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Martha Williams. “Despite its fragility, it is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance.”
The FWS is taking public comment for 90 days, from Dec. 12 to March 12, 2025, on the recommendation to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“This proposed listing invites and builds on unprecedented public participation in shaping monarch conservation efforts,” Williams said.
“Providing monarchs with enough milkweed and nectar plants, even in small areas, can help put them on the road to recovery. Working together, we can help make this extraordinary species a legacy for our children and generations to come.”
Monarch butterflies comprise two varieties in North America: the eastern migratory population, which has declined by 80 percent, and the western migratory population, which has declined by 95 percent.
The eastern migratory population, the largest of the two, flies to the mountains of central Mexico for the winter, while the western migratory population flies to coastal California.
“In the mid-1990s, an estimated 380 million eastern monarchs made the long-distance journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico, completing one of the longest insect migrations in the world,” the FWS said.
There is a 99 percent chance the western migratory population will be extinct by 2080, the FWS said.
“Threats to monarchs include loss and degradation of breeding, migratory, and overwintering habitat; exposure to insecticides, and the effects of climate change,” the FWS said. “Although many people have already helped conserve the butterfly, additional habitat and protections are needed to ensure the species is conserved for future generations.”
The FWS is also proposing to reserve 4,395 acres of land in regions of coastal California to protect critical winter habitat, the FWS said.
“The monarch butterfly and its remarkable multi-generation migration are marvels of the natural world,” said National Wildlife Federation CEO Collin O’Mara.
He is advocating that Americans “plant native milkweed and nectar plants all across the nation—our yards, schools, parks, rights-of-way, businesses, places of worship, working lands, and so much more.”
The FWS’s proposal will be published in the Final Register on Dec. 12.
“Everyone can play a role in saving the monarch butterfly,” the FWS said. “Because of the species’ general habitat use and wide distribution, all sectors of society have an opportunity to participate in a broad range of conservation efforts throughout the butterfly’s range.”
