Merkley, Others Introduce the MONARCH Act

On Thursday, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley joined a host of other lawmakers [Representatives Jimmy Panetta, Salud Carbajal, Rodney Davis, and Rob Woodall] from the U.S. Senate and House introducing the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act.  Supporters of the legislation say this bipartisan, bicameral proposal would provide urgent protections for the struggling western monarch butterfly, a pollinator that is integral to supporting American agriculture and whose population has dropped by 99% since the 1980s.

The MONARCH Act would authorize $62.5 million for projects aimed at conserving the western monarch.  On top of that the legislation authorizes an additional $62.5 million to be spent by the National Fish and Wildlife Agencies to implement the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan.

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse in the Senate, and Representatives Alcee Hastings, Jerry McNerney, Chellie Pingree, Mike Thompson, and Joe Courtney in the House.

“As the western monarch butterfly comes closer and closer to extinction, we don’t just risk losing these beautiful creatures—we also face an increasing threat to American agriculture and our food supply,” said Merkley. “This is an urgent issue that requires urgent solutions. That’s why we must do everything we can to implement experts’ conservation plans and save these species before time runs out.”

"My district on the central coast of California is home to four of the top 10 high priority overwintering sites for western monarch butterflies. Sadly, as climate change continues to degrade their habitat, we have seen a huge decline in the number of monarchs on the Central Coast and along their migratory path,"said Panetta.  "The MONARCH Act will provide critical federal investment in the activities needed to save the Western Monarch butterfly population from extinction. By actively restoring and protecting key monarch habitats, we can also help facilitate the conservation of other essential pollinators."

"Over the past 40 years, the monarch butterfly population has dramatically depleted. We can't let these important pollinators fall into extinction,"said Carbajal. "Luckily, our MONARCH Act is a way to protect these butterflies and, in turn, uplift our Pacific coast environment. In my district in Pismo Beach, we have the largest overwintering site of monarchs in the state and our ecosystem needs a healthy monarch population. Our bipartisan MONARCH Act incentivizes communities to boost conservation and help this population soar. I'm proud to introduce this important bill with my colleagues today."

“Preserving our pollinators is vital to our ecosystem,”said Davis.“Their extinction would threaten agriculture and therefore, our food supply. As a co-chair of the Pollinator Caucus, I’m proud to support bipartisan solutions, like the MONARCH Act, which would invest in projects to protect the western monarch butterfly.”

“I appreciate the House Pollinator Protection Caucus’ work to bring attention to and propose solutions, like this bill, that address the challenges associated with the decline in pollinators across the country,” Woodall added.“Pollinators such as the Monarch Butterfly are vital to our ecosystem, and to avoid the loss of this species, we have to be on the offensive and take all necessary precautions.”

According to the USDA approximately 35% of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators for survival.

“Western monarch populations have fallen by more than 99% in the last three decades and it is vital that we maximize conservation efforts to recover the species,” said Scott Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “That is why Xerces strongly supports the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2020, as it would provide essential funding to help protect and restore habitat for these incredible animals.”

“With so many insect species barreling towards extinction, we need to protect and expand pollinator habitat now, more than ever,” said Jason Davidson, food and agriculture campaigner with Friends of the Earth. “The MONARCH Act would be a giant step towards protecting the pollinators we rely on for our food system. Thank you to Senators Merkley, Harris, Booker, and Whitehouse, and to the House sponsors of this bill, for their leadership on pollinators.”

Click Here to read the entire MONARCH Act.

The legislation is endorsed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, National Wildlife Federation, Monarch Joint Venture, Friends of the Earth, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), MonarchAlert, California Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), San Diego Zoo Global, City of Pacific Grove, CA, Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, Charles Paddock Zoo, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Bees N Blooms, Safari West, Naturedigger, Butterfly Farms, Malibu Monarch Project, Aerulean Plant Identification Systems, Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, People and Pollinators Action Network, Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Toxic Free NC, Central Maryland Beekeepers Association, Pollinate Minnesota, Pennies for Monarchs, the Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City, and Unite the Parks.

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