MONARCH Act Puts $12.5 Million Annually Toward Saving Western Monarch Butterflies Through 2030

The MONARCH Act of 2025 is Congress’s attempt to hit the reset button on a major ecological crisis: the near-extinction of the western monarch butterfly. The bill’s core action is establishing the Western Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund, authorizing $12,500,000 to be appropriated annually from fiscal year 2026 through 2030 to fund immediate conservation efforts. The goal is to reverse the population drop—which has seen the species decline by over 99% in the last three decades—by focusing on habitat restoration and protection.

The Butterfly Bailout: Who Gets the Cash?

So, what does $12.5 million a year actually buy? The bill sets up a new grant program under the Secretary of the Interior (SEC. 4) designed to get money directly into the hands of people doing the work on the ground. Eligible applicants are local and Tribal government agencies, research institutions, and established nonprofits. Federal and State agencies can’t directly receive the grants, but they can—and are expected to—collaborate on projects. Think of it as a neighborhood improvement grant, but for milkweed and nectar plants.

Projects must specifically show how they will help wild monarch populations recover, which means restoring the native habitats monarchs need for breeding, feeding, and overwintering along the California coast and across the Western states. For a small nonprofit focused on restoring native grasslands in Arizona, this funding could mean the difference between planting a few hundred milkweed plugs and restoring dozens of acres, dramatically increasing the available habitat for the next generation of butterflies.

Cutting the Red Tape for Speed

One interesting administrative maneuver in this bill is how it handles implementation (SEC. 6). The Secretary is directed to partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to update and execute the existing Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan. Crucially, the bill authorizes this partnership to bypass certain standard procedural rules (specifically Section 10(a) of the Establishment Act). This is designed to speed up the process, acknowledging the urgency of the crisis—the findings section notes the population is already below the extinction threshold.

While streamlining bureaucracy sounds good when time is running out, it’s worth noting that bypassing standard rules can sometimes reduce typical financial oversight. However, the bill does try to keep things transparent: any organization receiving a grant must submit reports to the Secretary, and the public must have timely access to all project reports and related documents (SEC. 4).

The Real-World Impact: More Than Just Butterflies

Why should someone focused on their mortgage care about a butterfly fund? Because saving the monarch is really about saving the ecosystem that supports it. The bill explicitly states that conservation efforts must also help other native pollinators (SEC. 4). If you’re a farmer in California, increased pollinator populations mean better crop yields. If you’re just someone who likes to eat, you rely on those pollinators. This investment isn’t just charity for a pretty insect; it’s infrastructure spending for the natural systems that support our food supply.

Ultimately, this is a five-year, $62.5 million commitment to fixing a problem before it’s too late. The Secretary must report back to Congress every January 31st (SEC. 7) with a summary and evaluation of every project funded in the previous year, ensuring that taxpayers can see exactly where their money went and if those efforts are actually helping the monarch population take flight again.