Trump admin reconsiders proposal to protect monarch butterfly

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it is reconsidering adding protections to the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is reopening the public comment period for 60 days to help evaluate if the insect is likely to become at risk of extinction in the foreseeable future. 

“Everyone can play a role in saving the monarch butterfly," FWS in a press release. "Because of the species’ general habitat use and wide distribution, all sectors of society have an opportunity to participate in a broad range of conservation efforts throughout the butterfly’s range."

The move comes five years after the first Trump administration declined to give the monarch butterfly protections. At the time, FWS said it needed to devote its resources to higher-priority species.

Around 61 species were given a higher priority than the monarch on the waiting list for protections.

Monarch butterflies are known for their impressive long-distance migration and large clusters they form while overwintering in Mexico and coastal California. Once abundant, monarch butterfly populations have been steadily declining since the mid-1990s due to several threats according to the agency.

By 2080, the probability of extinction for eastern monarchs ranges from 56 to 74 percent and the probability of extinction for western monarchs is greater than 95 percent, the service explained.

Planting native milkweed and flowers are essential to sustaining the butterflies.