In 2020-21, an estimated 2,000 Western monarch butterflies were counted at overwintering sites. In 2022-23, that count hit 300,000.
But this winter is expected to be super low, with the count ongoing and a little less than 200 counted at Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove this year—and more than 10,000 counted last year. So what do we do?
Propose the species to be listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act! Hopefully this time around goes a little differently than the last go around.
In 2014, monarchs were also petitioned for a listing. But in December 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided that while a listing might be warranted, there were other listing actions that took precedence on its national priority list. Umm, what?
In December 2024, the service decided to propose listing the monarch as threatened. So I guess we will see what gets national priority.
The service estimates that the monarch could go completely extinct by 2080, so as long as there are two fluttering around maybe there’s time?
Meanwhile, in California, monarchs aren’t listed under the state’s Endangered Species Act, either. But it is identified as a species of greatest conservation need in the State Wildlife Action Plan, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wow, everyone. We’ve been talking about protecting monarchs for what seems like forever, but we haven’t managed to make the species a priority quite yet. Except for telling everyone to plant milkweed!
Slow clap! Let’s not wait until it’s too late.
The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association is trying to get ahead of the curve with its latest attempt at creating a special district to help pay for local wine industry marketing efforts. Although it wanted the county to set precedent by becoming the first wine business improvement district in the state, local wine peeps weren’t ready for it in 2020.
Now, California has at least three districts that assess fees on tasting rooms to pay for marketing efforts to increase tourism in their respective regions. Surely, Santa Barbara County can be the fourth?
It sounds like the argument is similar to what it was more than four years ago. Santa Barbara County is battling against industry Goliaths for recognition: “Our little association is really fighting giants,” Keith Saarloos of Saarloos and Sons said. The association can’t generate the revenue it needs to market the county wine industry the way it should.
The argument against it is also similar: Consumers don’t want to pay a fee. And the efforts won’t benefit the county’s mom-and-pop operations, which don’t need it because most of their customers are local, according to Steve Pepe of Clos Pepe Vineyards.
Things got a little testy at the county Board of Supervisors hearing on Dec. 17, with a handful of winemakers pushing back on Pepe and his arguments, including Tim Snider from Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard.
“We are at the same time, kind of the big guy in this scenario … but we’re also mom-and-pop. That’s what we are, and that’s what this region’s all about,” he said. “There is an assertion that only the large wineries are going to benefit. And that, as has been stated, is pretty flatly false.”
The Canary is always ahead of the curve. Send tips to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 2-12, 2025.
