In a historic move, U.S. wildlife officials have announced plans to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies, officially listing them as a threatened species by the end of 2025.
This decision follows years of warnings from environmentalists and concerns over the shrinking population of the beloved pollinator. Once added to the endangered species list, monarchs will receive legal protection, which includes prohibitions on killing, transporting, or disturbing the species, reported the Associated Press.
The announcement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service marks a significant step in the conservation efforts to save this iconic butterfly from the pressures of climate change and habitat loss.
The decision to offer federal protections to the monarch butterfly follows a long journey of petitions and legal action.
In 2014, environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the butterfly as threatened, citing a decline in populations across North America. The Center for Biological Diversity and other groups have advocated for years, arguing that climate change, agricultural practices, and the loss of milkweed—monarchs’ primary food source—are major contributors to the butterfly’s dramatic decline. As of 2023, monarch populations in the eastern U.S. had fallen by a staggering 81%, highlighting the situation’s urgency.
The monarch butterfly is one of North America’s most beloved species, known for its vibrant orange and black wings and remarkable migration pattern.
These butterflies travel thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico yearly, making their journey one of the most fascinating natural phenomena. However, their numbers have been dwindling due to environmental changes. The World Wildlife Fund Mexico reported a significant decrease in the overwintering population, which now occupies only 2.2 acres of habitat in Mexico—a decline of 59% from the previous year. Additionally, data from The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation indicates that the number of monarchs counted along the California coast has plummeted by over 80% in the last quarter-century.
Monarch butterflies face a variety of challenges due to climate change, which has altered the availability of their primary food source, milkweed. Warmer temperatures are shifting milkweed to the poles, forcing monarchs to travel greater distances in search of it, reducing the time available for breeding. Additionally, hotter temperatures disrupt monarch migration and their need for cooler overwintering sites, which are essential for survival.
Experts warn that continued climate shifts could push the species toward extinction if decisive action is not taken.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing monarchs as threatened rather than endangered because they are not yet at risk of immediate extinction. However, the western population, which migrates along the California coast, faces an alarming 95% chance of extinction by 2080. The eastern population, which migrates to Mexico, faces a 57% to 74% chance of extinction by the same year. Despite these dire projections, officials have emphasized that proactive measures can still help prevent further decline, making listing monarchs as threatened a critical step in safeguarding their future.
Under the Endangered Species Act, the federal listing protects monarch habitats and regulates activities that could harm the species. For example, the proposal designates 4,395 acres in California as critical habitat, ensuring that federal agencies cannot destroy or modify these essential environments. While the new designation will not prohibit all development, it will require landowners seeking federal permits to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to minimize potential harm. The service also outlined that people could still remove milkweed from private properties as long as these actions do not make the land permanently unsuitable for the butterflies.
While conservationists applaud the proposed federal listing, some agricultural groups are concerned about the implications for farming practices. Organizations such as Farmers for Monarchs, which includes groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation, have advocated for voluntary conservation efforts to preserve monarch habitats without the need for government intervention.
The debate will likely continue during the 90-day public comment period, after which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will finalize the decision. The listing process will ultimately determine the balance between protecting monarchs and maintaining agricultural practices that support farmers’ livelihoods.
With continued conservation efforts and public support, the monarch butterfly may yet have a chance to thrive in the face of mounting environmental challenges.