Monarch butterfly numbers nearly double amid conservation policy debate

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There is hope for monarch butterflies after the population nearly doubled in 2025, according to a news release from Commissioner Sid Miller's office.

Miller said a survey that was released from the Wildlife Fund-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliances (WWF) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Area in Mexico (CONANP) revealed "the population wintering in central Mexico's forests occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres the previous winters."

This comes after U.S. wildlife officials announced they planned to label monarch butterflies as a threatened species in December 2024, according to The Associated Press. The proposed listing from wildlife officials "would generally prohibit anyone from killing or transporting the butterfly."

Around the same time last year, Miller called that proposal in an official statement an "example of federal government overreach which cripples agriculture and rural development."

"This designation would slap widespread restrictions on anything that might ‘disturb’ monarch habitat, making it nearly impossible to build or expand in rural areas," Miller said in his December statement.

Miller similarly echoed that proposal last year after submitting his own letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after the agency extended the opportunity for public comments that advocate for "sensible policies regarding monarch butterfly conservation."

Miller's office said the survey for the monarch butterflies "is a key indicator of the species' population health."

"Scientists attribute this year’s increase primarily to improved weather conditions along the butterflies’ migration route through the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and land management practices, have also helped protect the butterflies’ breeding and overwintering grounds," the release said.

According to Miller's office, monarch butterflies are "vital" to the U.S. ecosystems, as well as agriculture, "as 80% of food production relies on pollinators."

“This is proof we can protect monarchs and vital pollinators for agriculture without strangling farmers and ranchers with red tape,” Miller said. “Mexico just showed us firsthand the impact of addressing the core of the issue, which was forest degradation in the overwintering sites in Mexico. In response, Texas and the United States will continue to promote balanced, science-based conservation strategies that respect property rights while ensuring the survival of this iconic species.”