The Daily Fuckup

Federal wildlife officials proposed in December 2024 to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and to add a species-specific rule and critical habitat designation for parts of California. The proposal was published on December 12, 2024, and the agency said at the time it expected a final listing decision by the end of 2025. ([fws.gov](https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-12/threatened-species-status-with-section-4-d-rule-for-monarch-butterfly-and-designation-of-critical-habitat_0.pdf?utm_source=openai))

The initial public comment period was set to close on March 12, 2025. In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reopened the comment period for 60 days, giving the public until May 19, 2025, to submit additional input on the proposal. The agency said previously submitted comments would remain in the record and be considered in the final determination. ([fws.gov](https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2025-03/comment-period-reopened-monarch-butterfly-listing-proposal?utm_source=openai))

As of now, the service has not issued a final monarch butterfly listing decision. The available federal records support a proposal, an extended comment period, and an unresolved final review, not a completed decision or a formally missed legal deadline. ([fws.gov](https://www.fws.gov/question-answer/questions-and-answers-proposal-list-monarch-butterfly-threatened-under-endangered?utm_source=openai))

The monarch’s status has been under federal review because of long-running population declines and pressures tied to habitat loss, pesticides and climate-driven changes. The current record keeps the species in the rulemaking pipeline while the agency weighs the public comments and scientific record. ([fws.gov](https://www.fws.gov/question-answer/questions-and-answers-proposal-list-monarch-butterfly-threatened-under-endangered?utm_source=openai))