Restoration of Island Marble Butterflies

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is announcing the start of open enrollment for San Juan and Lopez islands landowners who would like to participate in a voluntary program to help restore Island Marble Butterflies, a species that could soon be listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Island Marble Butterfly is found nowhere except on San Juan Island. Thought to be extinct since 1908, the butterfly was re-discovered by biologists during a prairie survey in San Juan Island National Historical Park in 1998, and a few years later on Lopez Island – but not seen again on Lopez Island since 2006. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed to list the Island Marble Butterfly as an endangered species and designate critical habitat for the species under the ESA. The species is likely to officially become an endangered species.
Agency personnel will describe how enrolling in a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurance (CCAA) can help save the Island Marble Butterfly.