WASHINGTON — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and environmental partners announced a program Monday aimed at regrowing critical habitat for the imperiled monarch butterfly.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is committing $2 million to the plan, while the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, an organization created by Congress that devotes public and private funds to conservation work, is committing $1.2 million. The National Wildlife Federation is also involved with the campaign.
At an event unveiling the initiative, Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said it will “ensure a future for this iconic species.” The funds are slated to be used to work with schools, community groups, businesses and local governments to create “oases for monarchs in communities across the country.” The goal is to restore or protect 200,000 acres of monarch habitat on public and private lands, as well as build 750 habitats and gardens at schools across the country.
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“We believe there are opportunities for public-private partnerships to expand habitat adjacent to crop lands — and we applaud the announcement of today,” she wrote. “Farming and habitat for Monarchs can co-exist.”
Lord said that the company is “reviewing the announcement today” but is “very interested to exploring how Monsanto and others in the agriculture industry to can help support these initiatives.”
