The Monarch butterfly's population in the United States dropped 90 percent in the last 20 years. Wildlife group National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has approved 22 grants amounting to $3.3 million to help save the species.
The multi-million grants will be complemented by over $6.7 million in grantee contributions from the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund, which the NFWF founded in early 2015. The conservation fund was formed in response to the species' alarming population drop in the US. With locations in over a dozen states, the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund's main goal is to protect and increase the species' natural habitat.
Each grant amounts to approximately $250,000. Most of the projects look into the restoration of grasslands where Monarch butterflies migrate. Key state recipients include North and South Dakota, Washington, Texas, Missouri, Nevada, Iowa, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Illinois.
"We were delighted to have drawn such a large number of excellent proposals," said Lila Helms, NFWF's executive vice president who handles the foundation's external affairs. She added that the $3.3 million grants will help the ongoing projects in various states tremendously. The on-ground efforts for rehabilitation will rapidly improve the Monarch butterfly population and create a sustainable habitat.
The iconic butterfly's population dropped from one billion to less than 60 million in the past two decades. Monarchs migrate from Mexico to the U.S. and Canada, covering roughly 3,000 miles and back again. They depend on nectar-producing flora throughout their journey. The loss of its natural habitat and milkweed affected the population to a great extent.
Monarchs lay eggs on milkweed, which then becomes the primary food source for monarch caterpillars. A weed killer Roundup Ready has been blamed for the loss of milkweed in major agricultural areas.
Monsanto Co., an agribusiness based in St. Louis, gave $1.2 million in grant money. Environmentalist criticized Monsanto for their weed killer product, Roundup Ready, which critics believe is partly to blame for destroying milkweed, the species' natural habitat and food source. In March 2015, Monsanto said that it will commit a total of $4 million to support habitat repair.
The first set of grants amounting to $3.3 million came from the NFWF, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, NFWF private funds, and Monsanto Company.
