Page 170 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

To Save the Monarch Butterfly: Taking Action with Maps The monarch butterfly faces worrying times. Droughts, climate change, pesticides, and the decline of milkweed, the plants on which caterpillars feed, have placed these important creatures in mortal peril. Monarch numbers are down on all major migration routes. Monarchs migrating to coastal California plummeted by more than 99 percent in recent years before experiencing a modest recovery this year, surprising scientists. The monarch also exists in regulatory limbo. On December 15, 2020, the US Fish and Wildlife Service determined that listing monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act is warranted but has been delayed because of higher priorities. 169