Findings

Congress finds that— (1) the population of western monarch butterflies is at imminent risk of extinction; (2) over the past 3 decades, the population of western monarch butterflies has declined by more than 99 percent due to prolonged drought, loss of milkweed and native pollinator habitat, loss of breeding and overwintering habitat, and climate change; (3) in 2020, the population of western monarch butterflies reached a new historic low of 1,914 butterflies, falling below the predicted extinction threshold for the third year in a row; (4) in 2024, the population of western monarch butterflies reached the second lowest on record, with less than 10,000 butterflies recorded; (5) the extinction of the population of migratory western monarch butterflies is now likely to occur within the next 2 decades if urgent action is not taken; (6) actively restoring native milkweed and nectar plants, monarch overwintering habitat, and other pollinator habitat, and ensuring that key habitats are protected from destruction, are critical to ensuring the survival of western monarch butterflies and can also help facilitate conservation of other essential pollinators; and (7) enhancing pollinator populations can result in improved pollination services for neighboring land, including agriculture and wildlife ecosystems.