WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior’s $1 million grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund and creation of the Pollinator Conservation Center will amplify the conservation efforts to address and reverse the recent decline of pollinators, including monarch butterflies.
“The monarch butterfly is in peril and needs continued investment and attention now more than ever. Our deepest gratitude goes to Senator Merkley and Secretary Haaland for recognizing this need and stepping forward as trailblazers for this awe-inspiring species,” said Dr. Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón, chief monarch recovery strategist for the National Wildlife Federation. “This investment is a timely and much-needed step in the right direction to help secure a future for monarch butterflies and all pollinators. We are now given a great opportunity to continue strengthening our conservation efforts by working together across multidisciplinary agencies and organizations and asking our legislators to pass key wildlife conservation bills.”
The investments were announced at the first-ever Monarch Butterfly Summit in Washington, D.C.
Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to be at the top of the list as the major threat to monarchs. Climate change worsens habitat loss and fragmentation, which affects the monarch’s breeding grounds, migratory stopover habitats and overwintering areas. Legislation like the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2021 (Monarch Act 2021), and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act are imperative to making sure we allocate the capacity and resources needed to protect this iconic species and ensure future populations thrive.
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