Monarch butterflies could soon be added to the threatened species list. U.S. wildlife officials announced Tuesday, Dec. 10, they’re planning to extend federal protections to the beloved pollinators after years of warnings that the population is shrinking, and the species may not survive climate change.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it plans to add monarch butterflies to the threatened species list by the end of 2025. That would make it illegal to purposely kill the butterflies or transport them.
Farmers and backyard gardeners will still be able to remove milkweed, which is a key food source for monarch caterpillars. However, it would become illegal to make changes to the land that would permanently make it unusable for the butterflies.
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A 90-day public comment period opens Thursday, Dec. 12, for people to weigh in on wildlife officials’ decision. After that, officials could tweak the proposal based on comments, give up the effort or officially declare monarchs a threatened species in the U.S. A decision is expected by December 2025.
In 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature added monarch butterflies to its “red list” of threatened species, categorizing them as “endangered.” That’s just two steps away from “extinct in the wild.”
