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The Trump administration is once again denying Endangered Species Act protections to a species threatened with extinction—the iconic monarch butterfly. As with a decision two days ago on the northern spotted owl, Fish and Wildlife Service officials say the monarch deserves to be listed as "endangered," but the agency will not act to grant those protections, instead focusing on "higher priority listings."
Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted due to widespread habitat loss, use of insecticides, and climate change-fueled weather events. According to government scientists, the monarch population in the West has fallen from 1.2 million in 1997 to fewer than 30,000 last year.
Under Secretary Bernhardt, the Interior Department is racing to finalize even more widespread rollbacks of wildlife protections. Yesterday, the agency announced it would restrict which habitat could be protected under the Endangered Species Act, making it even harder for imperiled species to recover. Among other rollbacks in the works, the agency is expected to finalize regulations that will allow drilling and mining companies to inadvertently kill migratory birds without facing any penalties under the century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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Rather than looking at fresh water as a commodity for sale to the highest bidder, we should look at the advancements in water recycling and produced water as our way forward. There is simply no reason for fresh water to be used for fracking.”
