Merkley Announces Launch of Center for Pollinator Conservation

During the past 30 years, the western monarch butterfly population has decreased by nearly 99%.

Photo courtesy: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced the official launch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Center for Pollinator Conservation.

The establishment of the Center was announced earlier this year by Senator Merkley, in collaboration with the Department of Interior, to address declining pollinator populations, including monarch butterflies, across North America.

“Protecting monarch butterflies is an urgent issue that requires sustainable solutions,” said Senator Merkley, who secured additional western monarch conservation investments as Chairman of the Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which funded this Center.

“If we let the western monarch butterfly go extinct, we’ll lose an iconic, beautiful species – and an important pollinator – forever. The launch of the Center for Pollinator Conservation will help ensure future generations are able to enjoy the monarch butterfly and other pollinators.”

During the past 30 years, scientific and conservation communities and experts have documented a steep decline of pollinator populations—for example, the monarch butterfly population has decreased by 85%, and the western monarch by nearly 99%.

Pollinators like honeybees and butterflies face big challenges, like climate change, pesticide exposure, and habitat loss, and benefit greatly from continuous widespread conservation efforts.

Actions like planting native plants to provide pollinators food from flowers that bloom in the spring, summer and fall, and avoiding or limiting the use of pesticides by following label instructions can significantly help reduce these threats. 

The Center will launch initially as a virtual collaborative space, and will work to amplify and add to the ongoing efforts to improve and increase pollinator populations.

Specifically, the Center will focus on three key areas:  

• Highlighting the importance of pollinators;
• Understanding and responding to threats; and
• Coordinating action to reverse population declines.

In June, Senator Jeff Merkley and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a $1 million investment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Conservation Fund, and the establishment of a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Both projects are supported by the western monarch conservation funding Senator Merkley secured as Chairman of the Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill.

The announcement was made during a two-day summit hosted by Senator Merkley, in collaboration with the Department of the Interior, on preserving the monarch butterfly at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC.

The event brought together key stakeholders across science and policy to identify solutions to reverse the cratering population of the monarch butterfly, particularly the western monarch.

“We've all experienced the moment of childhood joy and excitement when we spot a monarch butterfly fluttering through the air,” said Senator Merkley.

“This is an urgent issue that requires urgent solutions. This year’s summit reinvigorated our fight to implement experts’ conservation plans, launched two new conservation efforts, and brought together a community dedicated to saving these species before time runs out.

"I look forward to seeing these efforts come to fruition, and for future generations to be able to enjoy the monarch butterfly.”

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said, “When a pollinator is struggling, we have to examine how food production will be impacted, how the plants that rely on it will struggle, and to what extent climate change is tipping the balance of nature.

"The Monarch Butterfly plays an important part in this balance, but the steady decline in Monarch populations is cause for alarm.”

“We won’t be able to save the Monarch Butterfly alone – we’ll need collaborative conservation, key partnerships and the help of everyone at this summit to ensure that we move ahead with purpose and a focus on working to restore the balance to all of nature.”

Source(s): U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Sen Merkley