AMES, Iowa – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has updated their timeline for their listing determination for the monarch butterfly. Please see the statement below for more details.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now planning to submit to the Federal Register for publication either a warranted or not warranted finding for the monarch butterfly by no later than December 4, 2024. This extension will give our agency sufficient time to consider all the best available scientific and commercial data pertaining to the species and to go through any necessary levels of internal review.”
Previously, the listing determination for the monarch butterfly was expected in September 2024. The species is currently being re-evaluated after a 2020 decision found the monarch butterfly to be warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act but precluded by higher-priority listing actions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Visit iowamonarchs.info and follow @IowaMonarchs on Facebook, X, and YouTube for additional updates and resources from the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium.