An iconic butterfly could disappear within the next 60 years, scientists say, unless strict protections are put in place.
What's happening?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed in December that the monarch butterfly be moved in its extinction classification to the "threatened" category.
Currently, the monarch is not federally protected. While individual states may have their own classifications for the butterfly, this ruling would be on the federal level.
The proposal comes in response to the startling statistic that "monarchs have declined by more than 80% since the 1990s from central Mexico, and by more than 95% since the 1980s in coastal California," according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Why is the ruling important?
If the species is designated as endangered, strong protections would go into place. It would "require large landowners to work with Fish and Wildlife before doing any development that would significantly harm the butterfly's habitat," The Washington Post said.
It would also be illegal to intentionally or negligently harm or kill the species, as well as import or export them. Some exceptions apply, like for farmers removing milkweed, which the monarch feeds on.
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The butterfly's habitat is expansive. They are found across nearly every U.S. state and migrate each year across the country to Mexico and back. The butterfly would be one of the most widely protected species under the Endangered Species Act.
If the designation fails, no additional protections will be placed, and the monarch is at a much greater risk for extinction. Many researchers believe that "the western monarch has a 99 percent chance of vanishing for good in about the next six decades," per the Washington Post.
What's being done about the monarchs?
In Canada, which sees the northernmost habitat of the butterfly, the monarch is already classified as endangered. The butterfly also sees special protection in Mexico, where the butterflies migrate. U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Kristen Lundh hopes the U.S. ruling will follow suit.
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"The species has been declining for a number of years," she told the Washington Post. "We're hoping that this is a call to everybody to say this species is in decline, and now is our opportunity to help reverse that decline."
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Information on open comment periods and public hearings about the monarch butterfly proposal can be found on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's website.
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