U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently extended their decision on whether monarch butterflies are a threatened or endangered species to Dec. 15, 2020. The original deadline was June 30. More time “provides the Service with additional opportunity to evaluate the monarch’s status to determine whether listing the species is warranted,” the federal agency stated. Illinois is also developing a state plan in case monarchs are put on the federal list. On Earth Day, a coalition of agricultural entities released a 20-year ag plan to help monarchs as part of the Illinois Monarch Project. (FarmWeekNow)