Ag Impacts of Monarch Butterfly Proposed Listing

The Monarch Butterflies’ Potential listing under the Endangered Species Act has been debated Since 2014 in 2020 the Trump administration determined a listing was warranted, but deferred due to higher priority decisions. American Farm Bureau Federation, Senior Director of Government Affairs.

Shelby Hagenauer hour explains how this decision, how this listing, could affect agriculture.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service was under a court order deadline to make a decision by December 4 as to whether the butterfly is is warranted to be listed or not, and they propose it to be threatened with what's called a 4d rule. That's really a special rule for management of the species, and it provides for a lot of flexibility. And I mentioned that detail because depending on how the Fish and Wildlife Service rights, a 40 rule can really impact how landowners are able to use their land if there's a species on it.”

Hagenauer hour points out that the proposal that the Fish and Wildlife Service put out has exemptions for routine agricultural and ranching activities,

“But it does have some limitations on that, and the proposal also doesn't truly address the use of pesticides. Instead, it asks for public input on whether pesticide use should be allowed and if there should be restrictions on it being allowed.”

While the full impact remains unclear, organizations like AFBF are working to craft a rule that minimizes potential effects on agriculture.