The White House Plan to Save the Monarch Butterfly: Build a Butterfly Highway

[brer cat]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/21/the-white-house-plan-to-save-the-monarch-butterfly-build-a-butterfly-highway/?tid=hp_mm&hpid=z3

"Traffic on Interstate-35 is about to get a lot … buggier.

That’s thanks to President Obama, newfound friend to imperiled pollinators everywhere, and his strategy for protecting the nation’s insects. Among the proposals is a plan to create a pollinator highway along the I-35 corridor, which extends from Mexico to Minnesota and follows a main route for the annual monarch butterfly migration."

snip

"Also included in the White House plan are $1.2 million for the Monarch Conservation Fund, a project of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and another $2 million for Fish and Wildlife Service habitat restoration and outreach."

Glad to see PBO administration is making plans to help alleviate the disappearing habitats of the Monarchs.

[cali]

1. How effective can it be though without dealing with the issue of neonicotinoid pesticides?

neonicotinoid pesticides are considered a prime culprit in both monarch butterfly and bee declines.

[gregcrawford]

11. That's it in a nutshell

The administration is just blowing smoke up everyone's nether portal with talk of flowers and "highways," in order to distract attention from the glaring problem of neonicitinoids. After all, we don't want to piss off the evil psychopaths that run Monsanto, Du Pont, and Bayer, now do we? Might lose out on all the nice bribes - er... I mean, campaign contributions.

[bettyellen]

21. Actually the loss of milkweed due to use on farmland is the bigger factor, also connected to roundup

But not exactly the same thing.

[bigtree]

2. I think this is an excellent idea

...not that it will be a sure-fire cure for what ails the butterfly population, but I've seen some very positive effects of deliberate wildflower cultivation on roads in my state which is beneficial for a number of reasons.

Incidentally, Lady Bird Johnson was a visionary in interstate highway planting...

Today, perhaps most people think of Lady Bird Johnson as the reason why we see wildflowers blooming along the nation's highways and fewer junkyards and billboards. The Beautification Act of 1965 was one tangible result of Mrs. Johnson's campaign for national beautification. Known as "Lady Bird's Bill" because of her active support, the legislation called for control of outdoor advertising, including removal of certain types of signs along the nation's Interstate system and the existing federal-aid primary system. It also required certain junkyards along Interstate or primary highways to be removed or screened and encouraged scenic enhancement and roadside development.

It is part of that legacy that today the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 requires that at least 0.25 of 1 percent of funds expended for landscaping projects in the highway system be used to plant native flowers, plants and trees.

http://www.wildflower.org/environmental_first_lady/

[brer cat]

4. I agree.

Beautification was only one result of Lady Bird's initiative.

[HelenWheels]

3. Old butterfly highway

There used to be mega amount of Monarchs passing through a small town in central Wisconsin. We used to have so many Monarchs around our house but we seldom see them now. Next door neighbor just had the poison lawn business spray their lawn. Damn.

[brer cat]

5. I don't know how to get rid of the poison lawn business.

The desire for pristine grass drives me nuts. Not only maintained with poison, but heavy water use as well.

[Nitram]

6. And way more fertilizer than necessary.

Which leads to aquatic algae blooms when excess nutrients are carried into streams by rainwater runoff.

[Nitram]

7. I think the higway is an excellent idea.

Native plants will be used, which negates the need for fertilizers and pesticides of any kind. Will also benefit numerous other native insects, which in turn benefit our native bird species.

[brer cat]

13. ...

[Nitram]

17. ...?

[brer cat]

16. I didn't think about that.

I have never been much of a lawn person, so didn't think about the fertilizer.

[fasttense]

9. Our neighbor is the same way and we are organic farmers

We use No artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Yet I think our neighbors use every chemical allowed to be put on their lawn. We keep a 30 foot buffer between their chemically enhanced lawn and our pastures.

But it does make an immediate difference. One year we had a huge flock? or group of butterflies land in one of our back field's maple trees. It was fall and at first I thought they were leaves being blown around by the wind but then I noticed they were going back to the tree. It was brown, gold and black butterflies. They covered the tree for about 30 minutes. Then they flew straight up and away. I thought they would spread out over our neighbors property but they didn't. It was as if they knew about the chemicals all over the lawn. Later I heard on the news that a huge swarm of butterflies was picked up by radar near the airport.

We have also had our lichen come back to our farm. It had gone away but it was always in our nearby woods. But starting about a year ago it has come to cover almost every tree and post around. But as you get closer to our chemical loving neighbors' property it disappears. It's kind of funny in some places. Where their property butts up to a real tall post we use to hang an electric wire that attaches to the electric fence, the top half is covered by 3 different types of lichen, while the bottom half is empty.

Keep up the chemical free lawn and soon you will notice differences. But know you are making an impact on your immediate environment.

[mopinko]

19. one reason i dont claim to be organic.

right next door to mr golf course lawn. great guy, but....
i've planted under most of my turf grass.

eta,of course the city is suing me for "weeds"

[Telcontar]

8. High speed windshields vs butterfly anyone?

We sure we want to go down this *ahem* road?

[fasttense]

14. That's the first thing that popped into my mind too.

I've seen swarms fly almost straight up and down. But I'm not sure why they did that. I've also seen butterflies smashed by window shields. I'm not so sure attracting them to the highway is a good idea.

[Botany]

10. Way to go PBO

[Dustlawyer]

12. Least he could do, what with all of the Fracking and offshore/Artic drilling he has pushed.

"Hey most of the crabs, shrimp, oysters, Dolphins, in the Gulf are dead, California coast and soon to be ARTIC covered in oil, but we saved the Monarch butterfly!"

[Nitram]

18. That's right, Obama was to blame for the BP oil spill.

[Dustlawyer]

23. No, but he did a deal with them before the 2010 elections to put the Coast Guard under

BP's control. They used Coast Guard planes to spray the Corexit. He "Approved" Ken Feinberg to be the "Independant" head of the Gulf Coast Claim Facility and the 20 billion dollar fund. Turns out there was no 20 billion dollar fund and Ken Feinberg was hand picked by BP (The court later found that Feinberg had always been BP's representative).
He could have required BP take care of all of the victims before being allowed to drill in the U.S. again like other countries have. He could have required better spill response before allowing Deepwater drilling again, he did none of that. Now the victims will have to wait indefinetly, especially after the government's fine is assessed. BP only pays out so much a year to preserve their divided payments and bonuses to the CEO.
We asked Eric Holder to revoke the probation BP was still under from killing 15 and injuring thousands in Texas City when the Deepwater Horizon blew up. Holder instead let them off probation EARLY!!!
The U.S. is the largest oil producer in the world right now, more than Saudi Arabia.
OBAMA has done many socially great things, but big business has always gotten what they wanted from him, and will from Hillary as well. Bernie Sanders is fighting this kind of influence over our politicians, which is anti-democratic.

[Nitram]

27. Dusty, that doesn't suggest Obama is responsible for the deaths of the critters you listed

I agree the government should have tightened up restrictions on the whole oil, industry, and forced them to actually put in place the safety measures and equipment they were required to implement when they got their permit to drill. But in the middle of a catastrophic recession, there may have been reason not to take steps that would further constrict the supply of oil.

[Dustlawyer]

37. There is little to no enforcement offshore due to lack of resources.

They have no new technology to make DEEPWATER drilling safer. They have not been forced to make any substantive changes. Spin it how you want, but OBAMA has been Drill Baby Drill all along and he has abandoned the victims and the clean up enforcement. This is what I do, I know of what I speak. Oil company money has been flowing to politicians as much as the oil they pump.

[Nitram]

38. I wasn't really trying to "spin" anything, Dusty.

I was merely trying to offer a different point of view from yours. But perhaps that's the same thing in your book. My perspective is that Obama has had to choose his fights wisely because he doesn't have a majority in the House, and didn't have a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. He's managed to block the Keystone pipeline, and I hope he will do the same with Arctic drilling - as will his successor - if s/he's a Democrat. He's accomplished more by exposing the right wing for the hypocritical obstructionists they are than he would have by vainly going all out for every liberal cause he actually believes in. If that's spin, so be it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

36. what you said...

[Botany]

24. I am an ecologist and this is a highly important move.

We should be happy when good things are done.

[Nitram]

25. I agree, Botany.

This would be a low-cost, effective and ecologically sound step to take.

[Botany]

28. President Obama's actions of the last few days are very important

It shows me he really understands the importance of native pollinators, insects, and
native plants. I have been working in this field as part of my small business for years
and for the President to step up publicly and take these actions really is good news.

[Nitram]

29. Obama really listens to his scientific advisors.

And understands what they are telling him. So refreshing after 8 years of an anti-science, anti-environment administration.

[Botany]

30. If you get a chance look up this book

[hatrack]

31. Xerces rocks - been a member for a couple of years now

http://www.xerces.org

[Nitram]

32. Thanks, Botany, I've read it. Excellent book.

Two others I'd recommend are "Bringing Nature Home" and "The Silence of the Songbirds." By the way, I just converted 10,000 sq ft of our lawn to native wildflower and grass meadow. It has been fun watching it mature during this, it's second Spring.

[Botany]

33. Bringing Nature Home* is a very good book too.

If you ever have any questions about your meadow please send me a DU pmail

* The story about the loss of the American Chestnut Tree because the nursery industry
brought in the Chinese Chestnut and then the decline and extinction of the passenger pigeon
because the American Chestnut was its top source of food was very sad.

[Dont call me Shirley]

15. End the pesticide industry PO. End the oil industry PO. That will save the butterflies and

all living things on earth.

Band aids heal wounds, not the tragic effects of poisoning.

[hatrack]

20. Hope it's a seriously wide corridor . . . .

With native plants way, way off to the side.

[raindaddy]

22. Bees, butterflies and dolphins too...

They're also working on a wet suit for dolphins that will protect them from oil spills. Sadly they will be too late to save the thousands of dolphins dying in the gulf of Mexico linked to the BP oil spill.

Note to White House: The problem is not going away until the chemical and companies are regulated.

[MBS]

26. great idea.

Thank you, Obama administration.

[tennstar]

34. Mean while

While the president announces his bug roadway he signs a deal with Monsanto to give them the patent to genetically alter bees and butterflies so they can with stand more spraying by Monsanto.✌️


Sarcasm

[cascadiance]

35. If someone wants to really appreciate monarch butterflies, travel to Greek island of Rhodes...

... off the coast of Turkey, and visit the "Valley of the Butterflies".

Seeing the huge quantity of butterflies in those forests there, and the *explosion* of red color they produce then they all fly up if someone throws a rock or something like that in the middle of their colonies in the trees. I still remember that from my childhood many years later.





If they could create a haven like that for butterflies somehow, that would really give people visiting it an appreciation of the value of these parts of our animal kingdom.

[Brother Buzz]

39. I had butterfly trees in my childhood neighborhood, but nothing like that!

Most people understand the monarch butterflies winter in Mexico, high in the mountains, but they also wintered in California at sea level. I grew up near a eucalyptus grove that hosted a modest population. It was sad to see the numbers drop over the years until they simply stopped coming. Today, the grove is gone and was replaced with a McDonald's and condominiums. Progress, baby!

[brer cat]

40. That is amazing! nt