Ames, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Interior recently published an agency rule list potentially delaying the timeline for many species awaiting a final decision, including the monarch butterfly. This decision was announced nearly a year after the proposed threatened listing decision last December 2024.
This list places the monarch butterfly’s decision as a “long-term action”, meaning that a final decision will not likely be reached within the next 12 months. This could push the monarch’s final decision to fall 2026 at the earliest.
Following the initial proposal in 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) opened a 5-month comment period in which farmers, landowners, and other interested parties could submit questions, suggestions, and points of interest. This comment period resulted in over 300,000 submissions which the USFWS is currently evaluating in order to help determine the final listing decision.
For more information about the specifics of the proposed listing decision and the process to reach a final ruling, visit the USFWS website.
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium will continue to work with landowners to support voluntary conservation efforts for the monarch butterfly and ensure that people have access to the most up-to-date information on the population status and listing decision. Visit our website for more conservation information or check out our social medias: Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.