Monarch butterfly could be listed as threatened amid year of plunging numbers in California
While a devastatingly low number of monarch butterflies migrate to San Luis Obispo County this winter, the federal government has proposed listing the insect as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, a step aimed at reversing the species’ steep population decline.
“This is really the first step on getting it recognized on the endangered species list,” California State Parks Foundation Climate Resilience Program manager Emily Doyle said.
The recognition opens up pathways for funding to preserve monarch butterflies and develop protection plans for the insect, she said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also proposed designating 4,395 acres of critical habitat for the western migratory population in seven California counties, the agency announced Tuesday.
“It’s really providing more tools from both a legal perspective, potentially a funding perspective, in order to increase protection of those sites,” Doyle said.
The Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove would be one of those designated habitats.
“Pismo State Beach is one of the most important overwintering sites in the state, and it has been for the past decades,” Doyle said. “Pismo just provides a really ideal habitat.”
Public participation will shape the final decision, the agency said, and it is accepting comments online from Thursday to March 12.
Butterfly count low at Pismo Beach
As of Nov. 14, State Parks had counted only 406 butterflies in the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove — an unusually low number even so early in the season, State Parks cultural and interpretation program manager Danielle Bronson previously told The Tribune.
Western monarch butterflies migrate from Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and inland California to coastal California to stay warm and conserve energy during the winter, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Monarchs prefer moderately warm temperatures, dappled light and protection from wind and rain — amenities offered by the eucalyptus and Monterey cypress trees in Pismo Beach, Bronson said.
Last year, the Pismo Beach Buttery Grove hosted 16,044 butterflies at the peak of the season, according to data from the Xerces Society.
With only 406 butterflies so far, Pismo Beach should expect far fewer monarchs fluttering to the grove this year. This year could be almost as sparse as 2020, when 199 total monarchs visited the grove.
Meanwhile, in Cayucos, Kristi Marinelly noticed fewer monarch butterflies on her ranch this year. She planted milkweed on the property about a decade ago, and during good weather years, butterflies flock to the flowers, she said.
She’s also noticed a decline in the monarch population during her lifetime. When she was a child, countless butterflies gathered in San Simeon eucalyptus trees and were “hanging off” the branches, she said. These days, however, she rarely sees monarch butterflies there.
“We all love to see the butterflies,” Marinelly said. “There used to be bazillions of them, and now there’s not so many.”
This year, San Luis Obispo County’s low numbers are far from an anomaly, as counts are down across California.
As of Nov. 14, only about 7,000 monarchs had been counted across all western monarch overwintering sites, according to the Xerces Society.
Marinelly said she’s glad that the butterflies are up for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
“They’re just so doggone beautiful. Who doesn’t love to see a little bit of fluttering orange and black going through the air,” she said. “We should be so excited for them to do well.”
Climate change resilience
Habitat loss, pesticide exposure and climate change are among the primary threats facing monarchs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Scientific projections suggest that western monarchs face near-certain extinction by 2080 if trends continue, the agency reported.
Following the lowest-ever monarch count in 2014, several conservation groups petitioned the federal agency to list the butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs were placed on a waiting list in 2020.
“We’ve kept pushing for this, and it shows that we can make a difference,” Doyle said. “The species is not going to quit. The species is continuing to show its resilience. So we need to keep fighting as well.”
Drought and heat struck California during late summer and early fall, creating difficult conditions for the monarchs, Doyle said.
Drought may cause the deterioration of trees at overwintering sites, which are critical habitat for the butterflies. Drought can also limit an overwintering site’s water source. For example, some sites rely on coastal fog, which is declining due to climate change, she said.
The California State Parks Foundation supports the development management plants for overwintering sites to help them adapt to climate change.
These plans include identifying new water sources and creating a replanting plan for deteriorating trees. It also calls for planting a wider variety of nectar plants, which are blooming for shorter periods of time due to climate change, she said.
“It’s important to look from a climate perspective, because we know the species is being impacted by extreme heat and other increasing climate impacts,” Doyle said.
