What do growers need to know about the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of the monarch butterfly and how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workplan will change pesticide use?

Join our webinar on October 8th from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. PT to gain crucial insights into the anticipated federal listing of the monarch butterfly, how this will impact farming operations and how the EPA workplan will change pesticide use.

Federal Listing of the Monarch Butterfly under the Endangered Species Act

The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable species in North America. Despite this, monarch numbers in North America have declined in the last two decades. This has prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review candidacy for listing the monarch under the federal Endangered Species Act by December 2024.

What This Means for California Growers

California has significant potential to support monarch butterfly conservation efforts, being a key region within the monarch’s migratory route. Critical overwintering habitat along the coast and essential breeding habitat dispersed throughout the state support the monarch’s life cycle. Farming operations play a key role in the conservation of the monarch butterfly and farmers will likely encounter this candidate species, putting growers at risk for Take, or violations resulting in civil and criminal penalties.

As a result of the EPA workplan and impending listing of the monarch, growers will likely be impacted by changes to pesticide regulations. As the EPA continues to release its Strategies for Identifying and Incorporating Early ESA Mitigation Measures Across Groups of Chemicals, farmers will need to comply with the broadened approach to minimize pesticide exposure to listed species.

Join guest speakers Dr. Chip Taylor from Monarch Watch and Brigit Rollins from the National Agricultural Law Center to hear about the conservation of and history of this important species, crucial insights on the anticipated federal listing of the monarch butterfly and how this will impact growers, and what to expect in pesticide use from the EPA workplan.

Dr. Chip Taylor is the Founding Director at Monarch Watch, an outreach program focused on education, research and conservation relative to monarch butterflies. Monarch Watch has enlisted the help of volunteers to tag monarchs during the fall migration. In recognition that habitats for monarchs are declining at a rate of 6000 acres a day in the U.S., Monarch Watch created the Monarch Waystation program with the goal of inspiring the public, schools and others to create habitats for monarch butterflies and to assist Monarch Watch in educating the public about the decline in resources for monarchs, pollinators and all wildlife that share the same habitats.

Brigit Rollins B.A., J.D. is a staff attorney at The National Agricultural Law Center. Her work focuses on environmental law as it intersects with ag, covering issues such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), pesticide law and waters of the United States (WOTUS). At the Center, her primary area of research and scholarship is environmental law as it intersects with agriculture. She maintains an interest in promoting sustainability and environmental health through agriculture and resource use.

Register here for the webinar on October 8 from 9 a.m. -10 a.m. PT (12-1 p.m. ET) on Farming, Monarch Butterflies, and the New ESA: What Does this Mean for Farmers?