The 2018 Monarch Conservation Implementation Plan is now publically available. This annually updated plan, derived from the 2008 North American Monarch Conservation Plan, identifies and prioritizes monarch conservation action items in the U.S. that will help us reach our goal of restoring the monarch butterfly population to a sustainable level. Any individual or entity is encouraged to use this plan to identify and integrate priority monarch conservation actions into their existing or planned efforts.
The United States has a strong monarch conservation movement that continues to grow. We are excited to be part of this movement, and recognize this is a critical moment in history for monarchs and other pollinators. Sixteen partners have joined the MJV in 2017, and monarchs continue to gain attention and interest from all sectors.
It will take continued partnership and coordination to reach these ambitious goals and preserve the monarch migration for generations to come. As a national coordinating body, the MJV will continue to help identify opportunities for collaboration between different entities, and support and guide conservation actions carried out by our partners.
This plan serves as a guiding document to support ongoing or new conservation actions, recognizing that it will take an “all hands on deck” approach to reach our nation’s monarch population and habitat targets. The plan may also serve to inform other initiatives in an effort to coordinate monarch conservation efforts throughout the U.S.
The Monarch Joint Venture is a national partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic programs working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. The content in this article does not necessarily reflect the positions of all Monarch Joint Venture partners. Header photo by Wendy Caldwell.