US Fish and Wildlife Service proposes federal protections for Monarch butterfly

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas' state insect, the black and orange-winged Monarch butterfly, could be granted federal protections after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed this week to list the animal as a threatened species.

The Service deemed the Monarch could reach endangered status and said the biggest threats against the butterfly are loss of habitat, exposure to insecticides, and the effects of climate change, according to the rule filed in the Federal Register.

Dr. Hayley Gillespie, the operations supervisor at the Austin Nature and Science Center, said the biggest threat to the butterfly is habitat loss. The Monarch needs wildflowers like the milkweed for its nectar and for laying its eggs when it passes through Texas on its way north from Mexico in the spring.

Gillespie said the eastern population of the Monarch has declined by 80 percent since 1990. "That's a huge population loss," Gillespie said.

The Service has listed out the proposed protections in the National Register. The Service is "prohibiting the following activities unless they fall within specific exceptions or are otherwise authorized or permitted: importing or exporting; take; possession and other acts with unlawfully taken specimens; delivering, receiving, carrying, transporting, or shipping in interstate or foreign commerce in the course of commercial activity; or selling or offering for sale in interstate or foreign commerce."

The proposed rule does allow landowners to remove milkweed, a food source for the Monarch, from their yards without any penalty. It does not allow for changes that will permanently make the land unusable for the butterfly.

It also has exceptions and allows for incidental kills, or when someone accidentally hits and kills a butterfly with their car. In California, the federal government is proposing creating designated critical habitat zones in 4,395 acres. There will be no such designation in Texas.

The Service is currently in the process of seeking public input on species-specific protections for the Monarch. These protections would be imposed in the Lone Star State, as Texas is a flyway for the eastern population of butterflies as they migrate to Mexico in the winter.

Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, released a statement on Wednesday saying the proposal is "the latest example of federal government overreach which cripples agriculture and rural development."

Commissioner Miller said in the statement, "the designation would slap widespread restrictions on anything that might 'disturb' Monarch habitat, making it nearly impossible to build or expand in rural areas." He said this would impact dairies, wind and solar farms, airports, railways, and mining in the state.

The public input period lasts until March 12, 2025. This is the time for the public to provide its input on if the protections are too vast, or if exceptions are needed. Commissioner Miller said he will be sending in his concerns to the Service during the public input period. The proposed rule does allow for some exceptions like incidental killings, or if you accidentally hit and kill a butterfly with your car.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is currently already working on conservation efforts for wildflowers and Monarch habitats on state-owned land, but 94% of Texas land is privately owned. The department is also looking at creating innovative pest management plans with less harmful pesticides and herbicides that will not harm pollinators.

Gillespie said there are efforts individuals can take to help with conservation, even without a backyard. She suggested you can grow a milkweed plant in a pot on your apartment balcony.

"Any protections for pollinators like the Monarch will have big effects on all pollinators which can actually increase agricultural yields," Gillespie said.