MONTEREY — United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) authored and reintroduced two major initiatives to safeguard pollinator populations and promote ecosystem health: the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act of 2025 and a bipartisan resolution recognizing June 16–22, 2025, as National Pollinator Week.
Since the 1980s, the population of the western monarch has plummeted by over 99%, with only 9,119 butterflies recorded across 256 sites during the 2024 overwintering season. Despite community efforts, threats from climate change, pesticide use, and habitat loss continue to push this iconic species toward extinction.
Jimmy Panetta
“Recently, the populations of our pollinators, including our western monarch butterfly, are decreasing dramatically, which could threaten our environment and agriculture,” said Rep. Panetta. “That’s why I’m reintroducing the MONARCH Act and our Pollinator Week Resolution which would restore critical habitat, invest in science-based conservation, and raise awareness of the importance of these essential species. Protecting pollinators is a matter of environmental responsibility and agricultural resilience, and I’m committed to ensuring we do our part to save these species so central to the history and character of our home.”
The MONARCH Act, co-led by Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would provide $125 million over five years to support the restoration and protection of western monarch butterfly habitat and to implement the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan.
The MONARCH Act is endorsed by leading environmental and conservation organizations including the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, and the Center for Biological Diversity.