Monarch preservation plan

§ 11-0541. Monarch preservation plan.

Beginning within one year of the effective date of this section, the department shall take feasible actions to conserve monarch butterflies and the unique habitats they depend upon for successful migration. These actions may include, but are not limited to, habitat restoration on department and state owned lands, education programs, and voluntary agreements with private landowners. The department may partner with federal agencies, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic programs, private landowners, and other entities that undertake actions to conserve monarch butterflies and aid their successful migration. When undertaking actions to conserve monarch butterflies and their habitats pursuant to this section, the department shall use the best available science and consider, as appropriate and feasible, all of the following:

1. restoring or revegetating monarch caterpillar habitat using regionally or locally appropriate native milkweed species and native nectar plant species;

2. controlling nonnative weed species that threaten native milkweed species, and controlling pests and disease, using current best management practices consistent with integrated pest management principles that pose low risk to monarch butterflies and their habitat;

3. identifying alternatives to pest management practices that may be harmful to monarch butterflies, their food or their habitat, including but not limited to alternatives to the use of pesticides that may cause such harm;

4. incorporating diverse tree species, structures, and arrangements when restoring or establishing winter habitat sites to match monarch butterfly preferences for temperature, light, moisture, wind, and other microclimate characteristics; and

5. increasing the number of partnerships and making the most of partnerships to use residential and institutional landscaped areas, agricultural lands that are not in active production, transportation corridors, and conservation easements to create, restore, or enhance monarch butterfly habitat.