LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A University of Kansas expert on the Monarch butterflies says he is leery of a federal agency's consideration of listing the butterfly on the Endangered Species list. Chip Taylor, an insect ecologist, says he's concerned about the public reaction if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins telling property owners they need to conserve certain vegetation to provide critical habitat for the butterflies. Taylor is found of the Monarch Watch, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the monarch, its habitat and its fall migration to Mexico. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that http://bit.ly/1rP4MRV
Taylor would prefer a grassroots plan with large-scale public participation to help the butterfly. The Wildlife Service said it would review the butterfly's status after receiving a petition in August from several groups seeking the designation.