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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks ag input on monarch proposal

The supervisor of the Illinois & Iowa U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) office says the agency needs to hear from agriculture on the monarch butterfly.

Kraig McPeek says public comment is now open on the insect’s proposed threatened listing under the Endangered Species Act.

“Really encourage everyone to get into the Federal Register.”  He says, “Read the proposed listing.  Read the proposed 4D rule, and then work with their groups to provide that comment back to the Fish and Wildlife Service so we can improve that listing.”

He tells Brownfield migratory monarch numbers have drastically declined over the past decade, but the current proposal still allows flexibility for farmers.

“Common agricultural practices, those impacts to milkweed and monarchs are accepted is the word we use, as well as managing right of ways, and vehicle strikes, and managing conservation land.”  He says, “All of that is accepted.  We understand it’s important and it allows for those types of management actions to happen.”

McPeek says comments regarding pesticide and herbicide use are especially insightful.

“There’s nothing in there that takes that away.”  He says, “It’s just asking for input such that we don’t take something away that’s critical, or if we did, we did it in the right way.”

McPeek says public comments are being accepted until March 12th, and the final listing could be out sometime in 2025.

Brownfield spoke with McPeek at the 2024 Illinois Certified Crop Advisor annual conference in Champaign.

AUDIO: Kraig McPeek – US Fish & Wildlife Service

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