While habitat conservation isn't a magic potion for the preservation of the monarch butterfly, it's true that the lovely pollinators need milkweed to survive. Their caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. No caterpillars; no butterflies.
Thus we were happy to read Shelly Lindrud's story in the West Central Tribune, Monarch butterfly finds a new friend in Kandiyohi County:
Kandiyohi County becomes first county in the state to successfully join the Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement for Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Land. As a participant in the conservation program, Kandiyohi County will be setting aside more than 100 acres of right of way as protected monarch butterfly habitat.
While the monarch butterfly will have to wait for the United States to list it as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, Kandiyohi County is going forward with its plan to set aside acres of right of way as protected monarch butterfly habitat.
"We just want to do what is right. We don't want to ruin the environment," said Mel Odens, Kandiyohi County Public Works Director.
Odens, along with Angelica Hopp, county buffer compliance technician, updated the Kandiyohi County Board on the county's application to join the Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement for Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Land conservation program.
"We are the first county in Minnesota to get it," Odens said during the March 16 meeting.
The agreement was created by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago, in an effort to protect the butterfly and help its numbers rebound. The goal is to set aside 465,000 acres of rights of way as protected monarch butterfly habitat across the country.
Not only will the program help the monarch butterfly population, but it will also help Kandiyohi County keep on schedule for any future road projects. As a participating county, if the monarch is ever listed, Kandiyohi County will not be impacted by additional restrictions placed on public works projects around butterfly habitat. This will save not only money, but time.
As a participating county, Kandiyohi County will be setting aside 5 percent of its right-of-way acreage along county roads as protected and maintained butterfly habitat. This means making sure there is enough milkweed growing and also reducing activity that could negatively impact the butterfly while it is in Minnesota over the summer. According to Hopp, the county has earmarked about 197 acres for the program.
The county will have to get the permission of the landowners before the acreage is officially adopted as habitat. The program is completely voluntary for landowners. Now that the county has been added to the program, staff will be reaching out to landowners to speak to them. So far the public reaction has been good.
"From what we have heard, it has been extremely positive," Hopp said. ...
Read the rest at the West Central Tribune.
We were curious whether the program includes restrictions on insecticides, like systemic poisons like neonicotinoids. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Save the Monarch Butterfly Questions and Answers: Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Monarch Butterfly page:
13. What types of activities that occur in rights-of-way are included in the agreements?
The agreement addresses general operations and management, vegetation management, maintenance, and modernization construction activities within energy and transportation lands and the potential effects those activities have on monarch butterflies. These activities include things like periodic grading and vegetation clearing, structural maintenance and repairs, as well as the repair, replacement and modification of above- and below-ground infrastructure.Insecticides are not used in rights of way; . [emphasis added]
Apparently not. Let's hope that Kandiyohi County's rights of way are indeed not sprayed with insecticides, even if the use of such pesticides aren't a covered activity in the agreement.
Photo: Milkweed is the exclusive food for monarch caterpillars. The butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves. The habitat program will make sure the county's adopted acres will provide an adequate supply of milkweed for the species. Photo by Ryan Hagerty, United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Via the West Central Tribune.
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