Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund

Competitive grants for the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund are awarded in two categories:

1. Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands: Grants are awarded to projects that support implementation of technical assistance to increase the number of private landowners engaged in monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation practices on working lands. Priorities include: hiring additional staff or contractors to assist landowners and NRCS with developing pollinator habitat management plans and NRCS financial assistance contracts; developing landscape-based partnerships to implement innovative methods to engage private landowners and expand restoration and enhancement activities on private working lands; and targeting outreach to landowners and other partners to prioritize, plan and deliver financial assistance available through EQIP and other programs to improve pollinator habitat and support at-risk species.
2. Habitat Improvement: Grants are awarded to projects that create and sustain interconnected monarch and pollinator habitats to support annual life cycle needs. Priorities include: restoring and enhancing breeding and migration habitat to support ample milkweed and diverse nectar plants; protecting and improving overwintering habitat; and developing sustainable and affordable supplies of native milkweed and nectar-producing plant seeds and seedlings that support habitat restoration efforts.

Since 2015, the fund has awarded $13.2 million to 85 projects that are helping conserve and recover the monarch butterfly while also benefiting other pollinator species. Grantees have matched this investment with an additional $21.3 million, for a total on-the-ground impact of $34.5 million. This investment has provided support for:

• Restoration/enhancement of 269,000 acres 
• Propagation of 813,000 native milkweed seedlings
• Collection of 930 pounds of native milkweed seeds 
• Coordination of 1,300 workshops and meetings