Endangered Species & Wildlife / Public News Service

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified monarch butterflies as

Monday, December 2, 2024

Monarchs may join endangered list, highlighting FL's conservation needs

Monarch butterflies could soon be added to the federal Endangered Species list, with a decision expected by year's end. Eastern monarchs migrating …

In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature added monarch butterflies to its Red List of Threatened Species, highlighting the significant decline in their populations because of habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, December 2, 2024

Monarch butterflies may join federal Endangered Species List

Monarch butterflies could soon be added to the federal Endangered Species list, with a decision expected by year's end. Eastern monarchs, which …

A monarch butterfly can travel between 50 to 100 miles a day during its migration. (Derek Ramsey/Wikimedia Commons)<br /><br />

Government soon to announce decision on monarch conservation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide soon whether to list the monarch butterfly as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act…

More than 2,000 cities and towns have worked to protect the monarch butterfly by joining the Mayor's Monarch Pledge, organized by the National Wildlife Federation. (Dave/Adobe Stock)

Big decision coming on protections for monarch butterflies

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide whether to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act within the next …

A monarch butterfly can travel between 50 to 100 miles a day during its migration. (Derek Ramsey/Wikimedia Commons)

Monarch butterfly could soon have 'threatened' label under ESA

In the coming days, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to list the monarch butterfly as "threatened" under the Endangered Species …

A monarch butterfly can travel between 50 to 100 miles a day during its migration. (Thomas Bresson/ Wikimedia Commons)

Government to decide if monarchs are 'threatened'

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide soon whether to list the monarch butterfly as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act…

According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, mule deer were uncommon in the early 1900s. Their populations surged in the 1950s and 1960s, peaked in 1991, but are now seeing historic lows. (M. Leonard Photo/Adobe Stock)

State agency hosts talks across Wyoming on declining mule deer

After a devastating recent winter, the already-struggling mule deer population in Wyoming took a big hit and the state's wildlife agency is …

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed monarch butterflies as

Monarch butterflies candidate for Endangered Species List

Monarch butterflies could be on the federal Endangered Species list by year's end. Eastern monarchs found in New York and other northeastern states …

Are monarchs 'threatened enough?' Government soon decides

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide soon whether to list the monarch butterfly as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act…

After a slight increase in 2022, the number of 2023-2024 western monarchs

Montanans can help keep monarch butterflies off the endangered list

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide by early December whether to list the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Wildlife …

Built in 1953 and outlasting its original lifespan, Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline transports 22 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily across 645 miles of terrain through Michigan and Wisconsin. (Adobe Stock)

Controversial Line 5 project faces more legal action in WI

A legal challenge is expected since the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has granted key permit approvals to a Canadian energy company to rer…

A new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cattle grazing rule is being challenged by environmental advocates who claim it would increase dangerous interactions between cattle and grizzlies. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental groups buck grazing expansion in MT's Custer Gallatin

A federal court in Montana has held a hearing more than two years after a coalition of environmental advocates sued the U.S. Forest Service and the …

An Emmy award-winning television spot features regenerative ranching practices in grasslands on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. (Ron Nichols)

SD PSA on grasslands wins regional Emmy award

Native grasslands are the most threatened ecosystem in North America. A South Dakota advocacy group hopes its educational campaign will reach a …

A 2020 estimate found the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico caused up to $2.4 billion in damages to fisheries and marine habitats each year since 1980. (Adobe Stock)

Growing Gulf 'dead zone' may affect shrimp harvest

Scientists are sounding the alarm about growing dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Dead zones are areas of water with hypoxia, or …

Backers of the Maine Trails Bond said an infusion of $30 million will provide greatly needed funding to design, build and maintain all public-use trails statewide. (Adobe Stock)

ME voters weigh trail bond measure as climate change alters terrain

It is Election Day and Maine voters are weighing the future of the state's extensive trail system. If passed, the Maine Trails Bond would inject …

Since 1991, Minnesota's Environment and Natural Resources Fund has provided about $700 million to over 1,700 projects statewide, including things like research work for soil health. (Adobe Stock)

MN voters asked to reauthorize key environmental funding

Election Day in Minnesota will bring environmental funding into focus in the form of a ballot question. At stake is lottery revenue that over the …

The Klamath River was once home to the third largest salmon run on the West Coast. (Piotr Wawrzyniuk/Adobe Stock)

After 100 years, salmon return to Upper Klamath River

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park is home to more than 50 species which are threatened, endangered, sensitive or otherwise of concern. (Adobe Stock)

CA Tribes call for national monuments at world biodiversity conference

This week, more than 100 Californians are in Cali, Columbia, for the 16th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity. Tribes, policymakers …

Fewer U.S. House members have received an 'A' on the National Parks Action Fund Scorecard since 2022, and more have received failing grades for not voting to fund and preserve national parks. (Adobe Stock)

Sharp divides among WI reps in Congress over protecting national parks

A conservation group wants people heading to the polls to consider an issue that hasn't come up on the campaign trail - preserving and funding the nat…

There are 24 national park units in New York State, with about half located in New York City. (Adobe Stock)

NY, federal lands prove important in 2024 election

National parks and public lands in New York and nationwide are proving to be an important issue in this year's election. Despite increasing …

Minnesota is home to six National Park sites, including Voyagers National Park. (Adobe Stock)

MN reps graded on National Park support as election nears

A conservation group wants Minnesotans heading to the polls to consider an issue that may not have come up on the campaign trail: preserving and fundi…

Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park saw more than 4 million visitors in 2023, according to National Park Service data. (Adobe Stock)

National Parks advocates: You can't tell the 'players' without a scorecard

For Colorado voters who want to consider national parks and public lands when they head to the polls, a 2024 Congressional Scorecard shows lawmakers' …

The gray bat, one of Tennessee's two endangered bat species, is the state's largest mouse-eared bat. Its gray coat sets it apart from other Myotis bats, and it's mainly found in eastern and middle Tennessee. (creativenature.nl/Adobe Stock)

Debunking the horror: Tennessee bats essential to ecosystem, economy

From vampires to Dracula to the Halloween thriller Bats, stories often paint bats as scary animals. A spooky Halloween-themed campaign Real Scary …

The practice of intentionally burning excess vegetation has faced opposition from the public. (gilitukha/Adobe Stock)

Ancient technique used to fight west TX wildfires

By Keaton Peters for Inside Climate News.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public …

Oregon has six national park units across the state, including Crater Lake. (aiisha/Adobe Stock)

Scorecard shows how Congress voted on national parks ahead of election

As Election Day approaches, Oregonians and people around the country can see how their members of Congress voted on issues related to national parks…

The Maine lobster industry employs nearly 6,000 independent lobster workers, harvesting roughly 100 million pounds of the iconic crustacean, according to the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. (Adobe Stock) <br />

ME lobsters change habitats as climate change warms Atlantic

American lobsters along Maine's coast are relocating to new habitats as the Atlantic continues to warm. Researchers with the University of Maine …

According to 2022 data, there were roughly 2,800 wolves distributed across at least 286 packs in seven western states, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Adobe Stock)

Conservationists reframe the 'big, bad wolf' narrative

From Little Red Riding Hood to the Halloween thriller "Wolf Man," stories often paint wolves as scary creatures but conservationists argued it is the …

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 350,000-acre national wilderness area located at the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers in southern Georgia. (Mike Sepelak/USFWS)

GA swamp creatures may be creepy but pollution makes them really scary

"The Creature from the Black Lagoon" is a scary story told around Halloween, but conservationists say the real danger in Georgia's swamps is how …

Their distinctive fins make oceanic whitetip Sharks especially desirable in the international shark fin trade. Fishermen often cut off the fins and sell them. (ThomasEhrensperger/WikiCommons)

Debunking the horror: To oceans, sharks are vital, not villains

As Halloween approaches, a spooky campaign aims to clear up the common misunderstandings about some of nature's most feared creatures. In …

The BLM's Blue and Gold timber sale is on the Oregon coast north of Roseburg. (Cascadia Wildlands)

Groups challenge project to stop logging old growth OR forests

Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the logging of centuries-old trees on the Oregon coast. The Bureau of Land Management is moving …

New federal legislation would allow land managers to prioritize the needs of wildlife during critical times, including calving season. (Adobe Stock)

GORP Act would conserve 730,000+ acres of public lands in Colorado

New legislation making its way through the U.S. Senate would conserve more than 730,000 acres of federal public lands in and around Colorado's …

Salmon species in the Northwest have been struggling because of increasing temperatures. (Cavan/Adobe Stock)

Salmon habitat set to benefit from updated Northwest Forest Plan

Struggling salmon and other fish species could benefit from an updated Northwest Forest Plan. The U.S. Forest Service is set to release a draft …

To date, the Bureau of Land Management has permitted clean-energy projects on public lands adding 29 gigawatts of electricity, or enough to power more than 12 million homes, according to the agency. (Adobe Stock)

BLM’s proposed Western Solar Plan leaves room for wildlife

A new federal proposal details which public lands across the West would be open to solar development. Wildlife advocates are glad to see that some - …

The New England Fishery Management Council is developing new management strategies for important forage fish stock off the Massachusetts coast, with the goal of improving river herring conservation. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

River herring loss in MA part of greater forage stock decline

Members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head are asking federal regulators to help restore the river herring, a forage fish they said is vital to the …

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced legislation in 2019 to address the management and conservation of forage fish. Although the bill has been reintroduced in every session since, it has yet to pass either chamber of Congress. (Adobe Stock)

CT seeing sharp drop in forage fish population

Connecticut's forage fish population is disappearing. The newest Atlantic herring stock assessment showed aside from overfishing, the species is not …

Declining monarch butterfly populations are getting help from

Testing the 'butterfly effect' in New Mexico's Bosque

New Mexico volunteers will test the "butterfly effect" this Saturday as they perform small actions meant to produce monumental change. Civic and …

Bobcats were protected in Indiana until 2005, when they were removed from the state's endangered species list. (Adobe stock)

Public hearing planned for Indiana bobcat trapping proposal

Indiana is considering a limited bobcat trapping season and the Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input on the proposal. The plan …

The menhaden catch limit in the Chesapeake Bay was set in 2006 and lowered to its current limit in 2017. (Bill Perry / Adobe Stock)

Group addressing menhaden decline in the upper Chesapeake Bay

Forage fish, a critical food source for other species, are in decline up and down the Eastern Seaboard but menhaden decline in Maryland waters has …

A 2021 Atlantic herring stock assessment estimated the population at 39,000 metric tons, or roughly 20% of its biomass target, compared with the late 1960s, when the stock was estimated at more than one million metric tons, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. (Adobe Stock)

Northeast anglers: Forage-fish depletion is no red herring

Anglers along the Atlantic coast want stricter regulations to help improve stocks of Atlantic herring, a forage fish vital to a healthy ocean …

A Hispanic Access Foundation poll showed Latinos are extremely concerned about pollution in the Mississippi River and view the presence of microplastics, trash, chemical waste and PFAS, or

Latino voters in AR call on Congress to clean up Mississippi River

Some Latinos in Arkansas were among 400 residents across 10 states polled about the health of the Mississippi River. Both registered Republicans and …

Historically, the U.S. had tens of thousands of gray wolves but now fewer than 5,000 remain, spread over a few Western states including California. (Gary Kramer/USFWS)

Conservation groups slam federal effort to reduce gray wolf protections

Environmental groups are slamming a Biden administration effort to remove federal protections for the endangered gray wolf. The U.S. Fish and …

The Land for Maine's Future program has helped preserve more than 67 miles of shoreline on rivers, lakes and ponds, as well as 42 farms and 9,819 acres of farmland and the conversion of 158 miles of former railroad corridors into recreational trails. (Adobe Stock)<br />

ME boosts land conservation projects as climate change alters terrain

Maine officials are stepping up land conservation projects as climate change continues to alter the state's terrain. New funding from the Land for …

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Conservation groups in Montana have sued the U.S. Forest Service for a logging project in an area of the Bitterroot National Forest that's been home to a successful wolverine den, according to Alliance for the Wild Rockies. (Adobe Stock)

Montana suit: Logging project threatens critical habitat

Two conservation groups have filed suit in a federal court in Montana to stop a U.S. Forest Service logging project that would clear cut large stands …

Federal lawmakers respond to WY wolf abuse, state's response

Following the torture of a wolf by a Wyoming man, a state panel is seeking a bill to protect the killing of predators with vehicles, but Federal …

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said 19 wolves have been killed in the state since 2015. (ODFW)

Wolf poaching affects recreation in OR

Groups in Oregon are warning wolf poaching poses a threat, not just to the creatures targeted but to people who enjoy the outdoors. Poaching was a …

The USDA says in Illinois in 2021, there were 9.50 billion cubic feet of live trees in forests. (Adobe Stock)

IL environmental group monitors forests amid Biden legislation

The Biden Administration issued an executive order in 2022 to strengthen and protect America's forests and old-growth trees. Old-growth trees have …

The greater sage grouse habitat stretches across ten states in the West, including Oregon. (tomreichner/Adobe Stock)

Poll: Widespread support for sage grouse protections in OR, West

A new poll indicates strong support for protections of the West's greater sage-grouse. The results come as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management …

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