Reps. Panetta Leads Letter to Again Requesting TheDepartment of Interior Designate the Monarch Butterfly as Endangered

SALINAS, CA -Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley), joined by Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), authored and sent another letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging her to use her emergency authority under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to designate the western monarch butterfly as an endangered species. The letter was sent immediately after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) officially designated the monarch butterfly as endangered. The migratory monarch butterfly known for its spectacular annual journey of up to 4,000 kilometres across the Americas, has entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesas Endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change. Rep. Panetta called on Secretary Haaland to take the same type of action and dedicate every available tool, including the ESA, to save the monarch butterfly population.

"My district on the Central Coast is home to four crucial overwintering sites for western monarch butterflies, but in recent years we've seen a dramatic drop in the migrating population at these locations," said Rep. Panetta. "Now that the IUCN officially designated the western monarch endangered earlier this month, we need the Administration to utilize the full set of tools and resources at their disposal to do the same in order to save this species. Executing the authorities provided under the Endangered Species Act would bolster the survival and repopulation of this vital pollinator and ensure that generations to come also can experience the beauty and wonder of the western monarch butterfly."

"I am proud to represent two major monarch groves on the Central Coast of California: Pismo Beach and Goleta. But over the past two decades, the Monarch population in California has dropped from more than a million to just a few thousand. This staggering statistic should be a wake up call for all of us," said Rep. Carbajal. "The Interior Department must take immediate emergency action to protect our beloved monarchs and all species threatened by manmade disasters and climate change. It is not too late to help the monarch population rebound and flourish."

The letter can be viewed here.

###