There used to be millions of monarch butterflies in California. Now, they’re in the thousands
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES DWINDLE
Visitors to Pismo State Beach and other California state beaches can expect to see fewer western monarch butterflies this year.
Last week, the Xerces Society announced the results of its 28th annual western monarch count, and it’s grim. The society counted just 9,119 monarchs this year, the second-lowest winter population ever recorded since tracking began in 1997 — the lowest being in 2020.
That includes just 1,406 monarchs at Lighthouse Field State Beach, 1,400 at Natural Bridges State Beach, and just 556 monarchs at Pismo State Beach.
California State Parks is the largest single land manager for monarch butterfly groves, and the agency plays a big role in the species’ conservation.
“The western monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable species in California, and we are greatly distressed by the results of this year’s Western Monarch Count,” said Randy Widera, director of programs for the California State Parks Foundation in a statement.
“California State Parks Foundation has worked hard to protect and conserve monarch groves in state parks. We will continue this work, but we also must see monarchs listed as a Threatened species under the Endangered Species Act,” Widera said.
Once, millions of monarchs wintered in California. But climate change, habitat loss, widespread pesticide use and disease have dwindled their numbers down into the thousands. Experts predict if action isn’t taken to preserve the butterflies, there is a 95% chance they’ll be extinct by 2080.
While advocates push to list the western monarch butterfly as threatened, that’s unlikely to happen under the current presidential administration, which is hostile toward the Endangered Species Act (remember when President Donald Trump called the endangered delta smelt “an essentially worthless fish?”)
PROBLEM SOLVERS CAUCUS ADDS NEW MEMBERS
The bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus added four lawmakers to its rolls last week.
The caucus was established in 2020 and “seeks to find solutions reached through collaboration, not division; mutual respect, not partisan bickering; and will work in service to the people of California.”
So who are the newcomers?
On the Senate side, there’s Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Santa Clarita. Over in the Assembly, the caucus added Assemblymembers Anamarie Ávila Farías, D-Martinez; Mark González, D-Los Angeles; and José Luis Solache, D-Lynwood.
“California is at a crossroads, facing urgent challenges like wildfire prevention and recovery, public safety, and the rising cost of living. These issues demand bold leadership and innovative solutions,” González said in a statement.
Valladares said in a statement that lawmakers must “put aside partisan differences and focus on real, pragmatic solutions.”
“From addressing our affordability crisis, to making our communities safer and improving our schools, we must come together as Californians first — prioritizing the needs of families today and future generations,” she said.
This addition brings the caucus up to 20 members.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Deflecting responsibility for his disastrous decision to sow chaos and cut critical federal safety infrastructure, Trump viciously and nonsensically lashes out against highly trained aviation experts who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), LGBTQ+, or have a disability. These lies must not be allowed to stand.”
- Dora Rose, deputy director for the League of Women Voters of California, responding to President Donald Trump’s blaming of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hiring practices for an aircraft collision over the Potomac River last week, in a Friday post on Bluesky.
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