Monarch Joint Venture Blog
Western Monarch Count marks another low year at coastal overwintering sites
From late November through early December 2025, hundreds of volunteers and partners participated in the effort, surveying 249 overwintering sites and recording a peak population of just 12,260 monarchs. While this is a slight increase from last season's 9,119, it is the third-lowest tally since the count began in 1997. Read More
Monarch butterfly listing update: what “long-term actions” means
In December 2025, the Associated Press reported the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved the monarch butterfly’s Endangered Species Act rulemaking from the “proposed rule stage” to “long-term action” in the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda, published September 2025. A final ruling had been expected in December 2025, one year after the proposed rule was published. By moving the rule to long-term action, the agency does not expect a final decision for at least another year. Read More
Western Monarch Population Continues to Decline
The 28th annual Western Monarch Count has reported a peak population of just 9,119 butterflies this winter. Read More
USFWS Seeks Public Input on Monarch Butterfly ESA Listing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), accompanied by a 4(d) rule and critical habitat designation. As part of this process, the USFWS is seeking public input during a 90-day comment period, open from December 12, 2024, to March 12, 2025. Read More
MJV Calls for Increased Collaboration as USFWS Proposes Monarchs as a Threatened Species
A proposal to list the monarch butterfly as threatened with an accompanying 4(d) rule and critical habitat designations represents a significant milestone and strengthens the call to action for species conservation efforts. Read More