The Western Monarch: Status And Conservation Efforts

Listing denied - warranted but precluded (USFWS)

The US Fish and Wildlife Service denied official listing of monarchs under the Endangered Species, but did grant them status as a “candidate” qualifying them for annual review.

Petition to List (ESA)

The monarch, an iconic orange and black butterfly known for its yearly migrations and importance as an effective pollinator species, face a significant threat to their survival in both summer and winter ranges. Record low numbers with a continuing progression towards declining populations have lead to an in depth species review and petition for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Project Monarch Health detects OE Parasites in monarchs

A citizen Science Project out of the University of Georgia is conducting research to track the spread of disease in monarchs and aid conservation efforts.

western Monarch Conservation Plan

Compiled by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Western Monarch Working Group, the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan 2019-2069 was developed in an effort to provide guidance and unity in regards to monarch conservation strategies across the West.

western Monarch advocates come together to save the migration

States in the Western United States have banded together in a unified effort to help protect the monarch migration. Links for individual states found on below.

Call to action

Xerces Society has gone above and beyond to provide a set of conservation actions to help the western monarch population bounce back. The 2018-19 overwintering count below the “quasi-extinction threshold’ suggested to indicate an impending population collapse. Learn how you can help.