The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed that the monarch butterfly be granted new protections under the Endangered Species Act. The Defense Department, which manages nearly 27 million acres of land, air, and water resources, already plays a role in protecting the monarch butterfly. In preparation for the potential listing of the monarch butterfly as a threatened species, the department has collaborated with USFWS to develop a Conservation Strategy for the Monarch Butterfly. This strategy outlines the department’s role in conserving the monarch butterfly while ensuring that it can still carry out its mission and maintain military readiness.
The key tenets of the Conservation Strategy for the Monarch Butterfly are to enable the Defense Department to meet its mission with flexibility and certainty while participating in the conservation of the monarch butterfly. The strategy focuses on implementing existing conservation programs to benefit the monarch butterfly on the over 1.7 million acres of grasslands managed by the department. These efforts include providing nectar and milkweed resources and protecting 53 sites for overwintering monarchs. By maintaining natural landscapes critical for military training, testing, and operations, the department can ensure mission readiness while contributing to monarch conservation.
Ron Tickle, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for environmental management and restoration, emphasized the importance of balancing species conservation with mission readiness. Through long-standing commitments to natural resources management, the Defense Department is ahead of the curve in compliance with potential monarch listing under the Endangered Species Act. Collaboration with USFWS has positioned the department to efficiently navigate regulatory requirements for the final monarch listing. Adjustments to grounds management activities, such as mowing, grazing, prescribed burning, herbicide application, and grassland restoration, are part of DOD’s efforts toward monarch butterfly conservation.
The Conservation Strategy for the Monarch Butterfly ensures that military activities, including air operations, water operations, training exercises, and research and development, are not impacted by monarch conservation activities. By integrating monarch butterfly conservation efforts into existing land management practices, the Defense Department can continue to fulfill its mission while contributing to the protection of this iconic species. The collaboration between DOD and USFWS highlights the importance of balancing conservation with military readiness and demonstrates the department’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
