Iowans Can Help Protect Monarch Butterflies But Not for Long

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is thinking about giving the monarch butterfly, the fancy orange-and-black flyer we all know and love, a "threatened" species badge. That will make it super official.  

If you've been paying attention to reports, Monarch Butterfly populations have been declining for years and recently a massive decrease.  I only saw one Monarch Butterfly this year and though I'm not a bellwether.  The low levels have been echoed all over the state and country.

What Does This Mean for The Monarch Butterfly?

This means that the butterfly is in trouble, but it’s not quite at the “extinct” level (yet). By doing this, they want to ensure that we protect these butterflies from further harm and give them a little bit of a safety net.

But that’s not all – they also want to declare some land in California as "critical habitat" for the butterflies, which is basically a fancy way of saying, “This is the good stuff for monarchs, and we need to keep it safe.” We're talking about around 4,395 acres – which, for context, is a lot of butterfly-friendly space! 

How Can Iowans Help the Monarch Butterfly?

Here’s where YOU come in: The FWS is asking for your thoughts! Yup, they want your comments by March 12, 2025.  I'd say that was plenty of time, right? That is until the date sneaks up on you

Plus, there will be a couple of virtual meetings and public hearings on January 14 and 15, 2025, where you can chime in, ask questions, or even shout out your thoughts on the whole thing. Zoom-style, so you can do it in your PJs if that’s your vibe. 

While we're on the subject shouldn't more things be done in your PJ's?

What's the Hubbub?

Why all this hoopla? Well, the monarchs are facing some tough challenges. Their homes (aka habitats) are shrinking because of things like urban development, climate change, pesticides, and just general habitat destruction. Basically, they’re getting crowded out by people and other issues. 

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The FWS also wants to know if you think they should put some restrictions on things like pesticide use or transportation that might be messing with the monarchs. They’ve also got a whole economic analysis ready, so they’re curious about how this might affect things like business and national security (yeah, they’re thinking big here). 

Just the Facts, Please!

And if you’re wondering how they came to all these conclusions, they consulted a bunch of butterfly experts and other scientists to make sure they weren’t just throwing random facts out there. 

If you want to have your say on how we can help the monarch butterflies, now’s your chance. Don’t be shy – your comments might just make a big difference in saving these amazing creatures! 

Another Article About the Renowned Monarch Butterfly!

I wrote an article about this very thing earlier this year and you can read that here.