Wildlife monitoring groups are worried about the decline in the monarch butterfly population in California, especially on the Central Coast.
A new report shows the number of monarch butterflies has dropped by 97 percent in the last 20 years.
There may be as few as 30,000 monarchs across the state.
“Right around the time in Yosemite and Sequoia when they should be going into the Sierra mountains to find milkweed and lay their eggs, that was the time the fires were happening, so we’re just kind of blaming the fires. (But) it might be there just isn’t that much milkweed around,” said Martha Nitzberg, Natural Bridges State Park.
In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new rescue program bill into law. It sets aside $3 million to restore monarch habitats.
