Spending bill fails at-risk monarch butterflies

By Chloe Cruger, Intern

Monarch butterflies are disappearing. The iconic species has declined by 80 – 90% since the 1980s. They need our help, and they need it fast.

Luckily, there’s a simple solution: creating more pollinator habitat. This means planting milkweed – the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat – to provide nectar to fuel adult monarchs’ extraordinary migration and milkweed for them to nourish their young. 

America’s roadsides contain at least 10 million acres of potential pollinator habitat. Realizing this possibility would transform roadsides into green oases filled with wildflowers that support the health of bees, songbirds, and other wildlife.

The good news is that a program to do so – the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program – is already in place. And the even better news is that all it would take to implement it is $3 million in funding from Congress, a tiny allocation by Congressional budgeting standards. 

Monarch butterflies need help now, but the draft spending bill failed to include funding for the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program. 

It’s not too late to save monarch butterflies. Contact your representative today (below).