U.S. agency sidesteps listing monarch butterflies as endangered

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today it will not yet protect one of North America’s best known butterflies under the Endangered Species Act. The agency concluded that the iconic black and orange monarch (Danaus plexippus) has suffered population declines steep enough to possibly qualify for federal protection, but FWS will take no action at this time because 161 species already on its list are a higher priority for support from the agency’s limited budget.

Read more…