A lively national conversation about the monarch butterfly’s future will keep rolling on, with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s extension of a public comment period that has already attracted more than 148,000 written opinions.
The 60-day extension that will be formally published in the Federal Register on Wednesday gives the public until mid-May to weigh in on the agency’s proposal to protect the butterfly under the Endangered Species Act.
“Given the critical nature of this proposed decision and its far-reaching implications to critical industries … we believe that extending the comment period is necessary to ensure full public participation and thorough consideration of all relevant legal, scientific, environmental, and economic factors,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and allied industry organizations stated.
The request joined by groups such as the American Petroleum Institute and National Mining Association added that “the unprecedented scope of [the monarch’s] habitat means that any decision made by FWS will pose unique challenges to land and business owners across the country.”
