Farmers urged to back Monarch proposal with ag safeguards

Michigan Farm Bureau encourages members and supporters to submit public comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in support of protecting farming practices while showcasing how farmers are actively conserving pollinators and natural resources.

“The FWS is considering listing the Monarch butterfly as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” said Laura Campbell, MFB senior conservation and regulatory relations specialist. “It’s important for voices from the farm and agribusiness community speak up in support of existing Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

“We must continue to strike a balance — enabling growers to use essential crop protection tools while minimizing risks to pollinators, wildlife, and other natural resources.”

Comments are due by May 19. Send the prewritten comments provided or craft your own message by visiting https://bit.ly/MFBmonarch or by texting COMMENT to 855-374-5673.

The current FWS proposal includes exemptions for:

• Livestock grazing and ranching activities such as vegetation management, fence construction and maintenance, livestock care, and maintaining watering facilities
• Farming activities like plowing, mowing, managing row crops, pastures, hay fields, orchards, and vineyards; replacing and maintaining existing infrastructure; and implementing conservation practices such as dikes, grassed waterways, and terraces
• Silviculture activities that follow state-approved best management practices
• Managing vegetation, including milkweed and nectar-producing plants, when Monarch butterflies are not present

“We support keeping these activities allowed on currently farmed lands while also creating pathways for farmers to develop new farmlands and perform work not covered by the proposed exemptions,” Campbell added. 

MFB’s comments also urge FWS to coordinate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on mitigation practices for insecticide and herbicide use under EPA’s Pesticide Strategy. This approach ensures farmers maintain access to critical pest and weed control products while protecting threatened and endangered species and habitats by incorporating conservation practices that reduce the risk of drift or runoff near sensitive areas. 

“With these strategies in place, FWS can best protect Monarchs by leveraging systems farmers are already using to safeguard other important species,” Campbell concluded.