State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in

California
https://www.xerces.org/press/state-of-monarch-butterfly-overwintering-sites-in-california

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate

Conservation; (971) 244-3727, sarina@xerces.org

Emma Pelton, Endangered Species Conservation Biologist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate
Conservation; (503) 232-6639 ext. 102, emma.pelton@xerces.org

New Report Documents a 74% Decline in the Number of Monarch Butterflies

Overwintering in Coastal California

The Xerces Society prioritizes the top 50 monarch butterfly overwintering sites most in need of conservation

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.; Friday, July 8, 2016—A report released today by the Xerces
Society shows a sharp two-decade decline in the number of monarchs which overwinter along
the California coast and prioritizes the top 50 overwintering sites most in need of conservation
and management attention.

State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in California provides an analysis of western

monarch population trends. A comparison of the average number of butterflies overwintering in
California during the periods 1997–2001 and 2010–2014 shows a decline of 74 percent, a figure
that is comparable to declines documented at monarch overwintering sites in Mexico.

“This new analysis provides a better way to understand monarch declines at California
overwintering sites,” said Emma Pelton, a Xerces Society conservation biologist and lead author
of the study. “Alarmingly, the data reveals a larger decline than previously thought.”

The report presents a list of the 50 California overwintering sites most in need of protection and
management, based on the severity of butterfly declines at each site and their importance to the
remaining population. Listed sites span the monarch’s overwintering range along the Pacific
coast and the East Bay of San Francisco, including Pismo Beach and Morro Bay Golf Course in
San Luis Obispo County, Ellwood Main in Santa Barbara County, Pacific Grove Sanctuary in
Monterey County, Lighthouse Field State Beach and Moran Lake in Santa Cruz County, and San
Leandro Golf Course in Alameda County. Most of the 50 priority sites are publicly owned,
however a substantial number of the largest sites are in private ownership.

“Active management of these sites is the key to ensuring that they will support monarchs in the
future,” said Sarina Jepsen, director of the Xerces Society’s Endangered Species program and
report coauthor. “This report can be used to help conservationists and land managers prioritize
how limited resources are allocated for the greatest conservation benefit.”

In addition to documenting decline and prioritizing overwintering sites, the report also identifies
important knowledge gaps and conservation issues regarding monarchs in the West and provides
recommendations for management of overwintering groves. Intended for use by land managers,
policy makers, restoration practitioners and researchers, this report raises awareness about the
importance of California overwintering sites in conserving monarch butterflies and their
migratory phenomenon in the West.

Monarch butterflies are distributed throughout North America. While eastern monarchs migrate
to central Mexico for the winter, western monarchs spend the winter on the California coast as
well as in central Mexico. Although the number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico
experienced an uptick last year, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey,
monarchs overwintering in Mexico have undergone an 84 percent decline from their population
maximum in 1996. This decline is comparable to the decline in California over the same time
period.

The loss of breeding habitat, especially milkweed, due to the increased use of genetically
modified herbicide-resistant crops, is an important factor influencing the decline of monarchs in
the eastern United States. Evidence for breeding habitat loss is less clear in the West, and the
continent-wide decline in monarch numbers may be compounded by other stressors such as
disease, increased frequency of drought driven by climate change and the widespread use of
neonicotinoid insecticides, as well as destruction of their overwintering habitat.

Monarchs and their overwintering groves fall under a patchwork of legal protection in California,
but are not comprehensively protected. Management to maintain the microclimate at these
groves is often lacking. However, the monarch has recently been added as a Species of Greatest
Conservation Need by multiple western states, including California, which will expand the
ability for state agencies to engage in monarch conservation. California recently passed AB 559
which authorizes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to take actions to conserve
monarch butterflies and their habitats. In addition, the monarch butterfly is under review by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, with a
final listing ruling expected in June 2019.

The data for this report comes from over one hundred committed volunteers who participate in
the Xerces Society’s annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count, by monitoring the
butterflies’ population size and habitat condition each fall around the Thanksgiving holiday. This
report was completed with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Xerces Society
members.

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For More Information

Read and download State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in California
at http://www.xerces.org/state-of-the-monarch-butterfly-overwintering-sites-in-california/
For information about the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count and how to get involved,
visit http://www.westernmonarchcount.org

Read more about Xerces’ Monarch Conservation Campaign, including efforts to conserve
overwintering sites in California and restore breeding habitat in key regions of the United States
at http://www.xerces.org/monarchs/

Learn about efforts to conserve western monarchs by visiting the Monarch Joint Venture
website: http://monarchjointventure.org/our-work/list/category/western-monarchs

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Protecting the Life that Sustains Us
The Xerces Society has the world’s largest pollinator conservation team, with 9 FTE currently
working on monarch conservation. Efforts include habitat restoration on farms throughout the
country, national development of milkweed production best practices, restoration of
overwintering sites in California, conservation and management of critical habitat across central
and western U.S. and engagement of citizens in monarch research and protection. We partner or
contract with university researchers, NGOs, and federal agencies (such as the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest
Service, Bureau of Land Management and Federal Highway Administration) on monarch
conservation and recovery projects.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org