The federal government has proposed listing the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, a step aimed at reversing the species’ steep population decline, particularly in California.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also proposed designating 4,395 acres of critical habitat for the western migratory population in seven California counties, the agency announced Tuesday.

“The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America,” said USFWS Director Martha Williams. “Science shows that the monarch needs a chance to recover, and this proposed listing invites unprecedented public participation in shaping conservation efforts.”

Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change are among the primary threats facing monarchs, according to the USFWS. Scientific projections suggest that western monarchs face near-certain extinction by 2080 if trends continue, the agency reported.

Over 4.5 million western monarchs flocked to coastal California each winter in the 1980s, the agency said. Since then, the western population of the iconic insect has plummeted by over 95%.

Known for their striking orange and black wings, monarchs migrate thousands of miles annually. The western migratory population primarily spends winter in forests along coastal California, but migrates all across the state.

The larger eastern population spends winters in the mountains of central Mexico.

Following the lowest ever monarch count in 2014, several conservation groups petitioned the federal agency to list the species under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs were placed on a waiting list in 2020.

“Today’s monarch listing decision is a landmark victory 10 years in the making,” said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety. “But the job isn’t done. Monarchs still face an onslaught of pesticides. The service must promptly finalize protection.”

Drops in population have been driven in large part by habitat declines and the loss of native host plants such as milkweed. Large-scale planting projects have shown progress in supporting monarch recovery, said Haley Mirts, restoration ecologist at River Partners.

The environmental organization planted 30,000 milkweeds and other flowering native species across 600 acres in eight areas statewide, in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Xeres Society.

“Recovery is doable. There’s actions we can be doing to move this species forward,” Mirts said. “But the time is now. If there’s any more decline, you can start seeing too much loss and then it’s hard to recover from that point.”

The USFWS has proposed a habitat conservation in Alameda, Marin, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Ventura counties.

Public participation will shape the final decision, the agency said, and is accepting comments online.

_________

©2024 The Sacramento Bee. Visit sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.