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The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has responded to a
petition finding to list the Danaus plexipus plexippus
subspecies of the monarch butterfly as threatened under
the Endangered Species Act. The petition states that the
listing may be warranted due to threats in the butterfly’s
migration, summer, and overwintering habitats. Major
threats are loss of milkweed and pesticide use. The
petition opens a status review and 60-day information
collection period, which commenced on December 31,
2014, the date of publication in the Federal Register. A
draft of the petition finding can be found at
https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection.
We know that there has been a severe decline in the
monarch butterfly population. Very few were seen last
summer, even during butterfly counts in previously
butterfly-rich habitats containing milkweeds, the
monarch caterpillar’s preferred food source. If you have
data on monarchs, you can help support the threatened
species listing by submitting it to USF&W. Specifically,
the Service seeks information including:
- Historical and current range, including
distribution patterns;
- Historical and current population levels and
current and projected trends;
- Potential effects of climate change
- Past and ongoing conservation measures for the
subspecies, its habitat, or both.
Information can be submitted via www.regulations.gov
by entering docket number FWS-R3-ES-2014-0056 in
the search box and clicking on “Comment Now!” The
deadline for submission of information is March 2, 2015.
If you have questions, you may contact Ron Popowski,
Asst. Supervisor, US Fish & Wildlife Service, NJ Field
Office in Pleasantville, NJ at 609-241-7065.
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