MAINE PUBLIC • December 11, 2024
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that it wants to list monarch butterflies as threatened. The agency said populations have declined by more than 95% in the west and 80% in the east. In Maine, monarchs are already listed as a species of special concern. Phillip deMaynadier of the state department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says that concern is largely due to habitat pressure outside of Maine. He said their population in the state is fairly stable.