AUSTIN, Texas — The eastern monarch butterfly population is growing, and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says that’s thanks to conservation efforts.
According to the latest survey released by the World Wildlife Fund-Telmex Telcel Foundation Alliance (WWF) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas in Mexico (CONANP), the eastern monarch butterfly population has nearly doubled in 2025. The survey revealed that the population of butterflies wintering in Central Mexico’s forests occupied 4.42 acres, up from 2.22 acres the previous winter.
These are the same butterflies that can be spotted flying through Texas twice a year as they make their way to Mexico.
“This is exactly the kind of result we can achieve when we focus on real solutions instead of heavy-handed mandates,” Miller said. “Texans have always been good stewards of the land. Our farmers, ranchers, and private landowners are crucial in preserving monarch habitats without excessive government overreach. We need policies that empower conservation partnerships rather than penalize the people already making a difference.”
Scientists attribute this year’s increase primarily to improved weather conditions along the butterflies’ migration route, including humidity. Drought along the migration route had been listed as a factor in last year’s population decline.
Conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and land management practices, have also helped the butterflies.
Last year, Miller spoke critically of a proposed inclusion of the eastern monarch butterfly in the Endangered Species Act. He also wrote a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during their opportunity for public comment, advocating for what he considers “common sense” policies regarding conservation.
“This is proof we can protect monarchs and vital pollinators for agriculture without strangling farmers and ranchers with red tape,” Miller said. “Mexico just showed us firsthand the impact of addressing the core of the issue, which was forest degradation in the overwintering sites in Mexico. In response, Texas and the United States will continue to promote balanced, science-based conservation strategies that respect property rights while ensuring the survival of this iconic species.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service, 80% of food production relies on pollinators, making the monarch butterflies vital to the nation’s ecosystems and agriculture.
A local effort to help monarch butterflies
The city of Leander is doing its part to help the butterflies.
Bill Teeter, the Conservation Programs coordinator for the city, said the monarchs start arriving each year in early March as they look for milkweed plants to plant their eggs.
Leander has now joined the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, an effort by the National Wildlife Federation to support monarch butterflies. One way the city is helping is by delaying mowing a 6-mile stretch of Ronald Regan Boulevard until June.
“Those are areas where that milkweed is commonly going to grow. So monarchs, again, only reproduce on the milkweed. They need to lay their eggs,” Teeter said.
The city is also encouraging Central Texans to take the same precautions in their own yards, mowing around milkweed if they see it. Other ways to help the butterflies include adding bright nectar plants like lantana to gardens and limiting the use of herbicides and pesticides.
“I think everybody learned about the monarch when they were in school,” Teeter said. “It would be a shame if we didn’t have them around anymore.”