The Associated Press reported on 2/10/15 that the US government had pledged $3.2 million toward the effort to preserve Monarch habitat. Two million will go to restoring 200,000 acres from California to the Corn Belt, with some going to create 750 schoolyard habitats. The remaining $1.2 million will be used to start a fund to aid farmers and other landowners to join the conservation movement. However, still no decision on the effort to classify the Monarchs as officially Endanger Species, which would increase their protection.

In a Dec. 21, 2013 NYTimes front page article, Michael Wines reported on an ongoing effort by concerned organizations to increase the area of milkweed along the Monarch’s migration route. But “it remains an uphill struggle.” This year had the lowest count on record. Researchers at the University of Northern Iowa made a summertime count in over 100 acres of prairie and found only 11 Monarchs, down from 172 in 2010. Of the many contributing problems–drought, bad weather, loss of habitat–the decline in milkweed is considered far and away the most important. Along with a huge rise in grain prices has come the spread of cropland into areas previously considered unsuited to farming, robbing the Midwest–where about half the Monarch are hatched–of thousands of acres of grassland. A 2012 study determined that between 1999 and 2010 the region lost 58% of its milkweed and 81% of its Monarchs.

In the butterflies’ favor is their tremendous popularity. Monarch Watch last year offered flats of 32 milkweed “plugs” for $58, and sold 22,000. Efforts are underway to interest corporations in planting milkweed around their enormous facilities and towns in planting along roads and on landfills. Dr. Taylor of Monarch Watch is convinced that it is possible to reverse the population decline, as the insect’s numbers have fluctuated wildly due to weather in the past. “The insect’s troubles probably were as deep, or deeper, during the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s,” Taylor said. But there is still little reason for optimism. Thus far” he said “…monarch backers are mostly preaching to the choir, ‘and the choir’s of limited size.'”

topics: nature