Monarch butterflies may soon get protections under Endangered Species Act

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies venture across North America – though in far smaller clusters than decades ago.

Monarch populations have plummeted due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. Eastern monarch populations that migrate between Canada and overwintering sites in Mexico are estimated to have declined by more than 80 percent since the 1990s. Counts at overwintering sites on the California coast estimate that western monarch numbers have plunged by more than 95 percent since the 1980s.

In 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature put migratory monarch butterflies on their so-called "Red List" as threatened.

And in a matter of weeks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will decide if the butterfly deserves federal protections. If protections are deemed necessary, the FWS will submit a proposed rule to the Federal Register to have monarchs listed under the Endangered Species Act by Dec. 4. If that came to pass, the monarch would be one of the most widespread species to ever receive this listing.

Read more of science correspondent Nate Rott's reporting here.

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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. It was fact-checked by Tyler Jones. The audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.