Collaborative to support monarchs,

Pollinators

Ken Paglia CDFW

State and federal agencies in California are joining forces to address the decline of monarch butterflies and other pollinator species in the state. The Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative aims to facilitate long-term conservation of the western population of the migratory monarch butterfly and its habitats, as well as other pollinator species in the state.

“Monarchs and other pollinators are critical to maintaining ecosystem resilience and preserving California’s biodiversity,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “It will take a collective effort between agencies to make significant headway toward the state’s conservation goals and recover pollinator populations.”

Recent surveys reveal a positive turn for the monarchs. The 2023 count of overwintering monarchs along the California coast showed a robust population of more than 330,000 butterflies. This represents more than a thousandfold increase over the alltime low count of less than 2,000 individuals in 2020.

“We are encouraged by the promising recent reports of overwintering western monarchs in California and remain committed to working with others to implement conservation actions that benefit all pollinators,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Regional Director Paul Souza.

Despite the recent increase, scientists estimate that western n See collaborative page B4

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