NRDC sues EPA to force action on Monarch Butterflies

The Natural Resources Defense Council

The Natural Resources Defense Council in February accused the Environmental Protection Agency of dragging its feet on efforts to save the imperiled monarch butterfly and filed suit to force the agency to act.

EPA's failure to respond to an urgent petition that sought to limit the use of a pesticide that's been destroying monarch habitat, filed more than a year ago by NRDC, has resulted in "significant ongoing harm" to the vulnerable butterfly population, according to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in New York City.

"The longer EPA delays, the greater the risk we could lose the monarch migration," said Dr. Sylvia Fallon, an NRDC senior scientist and director of its Wildlife Conservation Project.

The monarch butterfly, an iconic North American species that makes a unique 2,500 mile annual migration from the mountains of central Mexico to Canada and back, has been in serious decline for 15 years. Once numbering as many as a billion, only 56.5 million of the orange-and-black winged pollinators were counted last month at their Mexican refuge, the second lowest total ever.

Experts say the primary cause for the population collapse is the skyrocketing use of the herbicide glyphosate (originally marketed as Roundup) on genetically modified corn and soybeans, which has wiped out much of the milkweed - a native wildflower - that monarchs need to survive. Since EPA last reviewed the safety of glyphosate in 1993, its use has increased ten-fold, yet the agency has never considered the herbicide's impact on monarchs.

NRDC filed an urgent petition last February with EPA, asking for an immediate review of glyphosate and its impact on monarchs and for measures to limit the harm the chemical is causing to the species. EPA has failed to respond to the petition, and given no public explanation for its silence. The current suit seeks a court order to force EPA to respond to the petition.

In the intervening year, however, the agency has approved use of a new glyphosate-containing herbicide for genetically modified crops, Enlist Duo, which could further damage monarch populations. NRDC earlier filed a separate suit to block its use. That suit is pending.

The EPA must act promptly, the new suit says, because the current population of migrating monarchs is dangerously small. At its current size, the population could be wiped out by a severe weather event. In 2002, a major snowstorm in Mexico killed more than 80 million (out of approximately 100 million) monarchs wintering in Mexico, a number greater than the current total population.

Monarchs need milkweed because it is the only plant on which they lay their eggs, and the only food their larvae will eat. In its original petition, NRDC asked EPA to consider requiring glyphosate-free buffer zones near crops where milkweed could flourish, and banning the herbicide from use along highways and utility rights of way.

Since then, NRDC has launched a program to promote the planting of milkweed by school groups, backyard gardeners, and others. It also successfully urged the Illinois Tollway Authority to plant milkweed along the 286 miles of highway it controls in Illinois, where the monarch is the state insect.

Austin: "Using Native Plants in the Landscape" will be presented 10 a.m. to noon March 12 at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Travis Co, 1600-B Smith Road, Austin. Native Texas plants bring beauty and function to your garden while being well adapted to handle Texas' blazing summers, drought, and other weather extremes. In addition to being water-wise, native plants provide great benefits to pollinators and birds. 4-H CAPITAL's gardening specialist and Texas Master Naturalist Meredith O'Reilly will guide you in choosing the right natives for your yard and your garden goals. Cost: $10/seminar for early registration; $15/seminar for late or on-site. To register, visit https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/TravisCounty.

La Grange: Bill Adams will lead "Vegetable Gardening," noon-12:50 p.m., March 12, at the Fayette County Agricultural Building, 255 Svoboda Lane, La Grange. For additional information, call 979-968-5831 or visit http://fayette.agrilife.org.  

Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. SFA Gardens horticulturists Dave Creech, Dawn Stover and Greg Grant will present a "A Plant Preview of the Upcoming Garden Gala Plant Sale."Their combined program will present information and images of many of the new, popular, and more unusual plants available at the upcoming sale. The Garden Gala Day Spring Plant Sale and Earth Day Celebration will be held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center. The sale features a wide variety of hard-to-find, "Texas tough" plants, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and exclusive SFA and Greg Grant introductions. Most of these are produced by the SFA Gardens staff and volunteers. This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and educational programs hosted at the gardens. Parking for the sale is available at the nearby Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St. Parking for the lecture is available there, as well. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants. For more information, call (936) 468-4404, or visit www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale for a list of available plants.The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA's Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series fund are always appreciated. Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu .

San Antonio: Ruben Villarreal will bring Archi's Acres to San Antonio when he speaks at the San Antonio Herb Society's March meeting. This organization was founded in California and featured in Organic Gardening magazine last year to help train people in organic hydroponic herb growing and drive a national change toward sustainable organic gardening. Meeting will be held Thursday, March 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N New Braunfels. Free and open to the public. For additional information, call 210-826-6860 or emailmbelisle@satx.rr.com.

Tomball: Ann Wheeler, Log House Herbs, will present "Choosing the Best Herb for the Purpose" at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 12, and again at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 14, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.  

The Woodlands: Helicopters in flight, hummingbirds delight the eye! Discover the antics and charm of nature's jewels at Hummingbirds 101: Everything you wanted to know about hummingbirds and more on Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Cliff Shackelford, non-game ornithologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, reveals the latest information on the hummingbirds of Texas and the habitat that brings them here. This free program of The Woodlands Township will be held in the L.G.I. Lecture Hall at McCullough Junior High School, 3800 S. Panther Creek Drive. For more information, visit Walk in the Woods Nature Lecture or call 281-210-3800.

Tomball: Agela Chandler will present "No Till Gardening" at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.

Canyon Lake: The Lindheimer Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will meet on Tuesday, March 17, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, Canyon Lake. The program, "Texas Wildflowers," will be presented by Craig Hensley from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Craig is the Park Ranger at Guadalupe State Park, and very knowledgeable about local wildflowers. For more information, visit www.npsot.org/wp/lindheimer.  

Seabrook: On Wednesday, March 18, Paul Winski, Harris County Extension Agent-Horticulture, will present an educational program on Texas Superstars at10 a.m., in the Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabrook. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu.

Woodway: Lunch with the Master Gardeners, noon-2 p.m., March 18, at The Pavilion at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, 1 Pavilion Way, Woodway. Vegetable Specialists, Carol Wood and Jene Hering will discuss everything from building good soil to varieties and timing of planting vegetables. Learn how to successfully grow tomatoes, eggplant, Southern peas and many other spring vegetables.

Athens: Henderson County Master Gardener's 2015 Spring Conference will present "Smarter Gardening the Easy Way" featuring Skip Richter, Harris County AgriLife Extension Agent and Texas Gardener contributing editor, Thursday, March 19, at First United Methodist Church, Athens. Tickets are $20, advance purchase required. Dinner is included in the price of the ticket. Silent auction starts at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. For more information, call the Henderson County AgriLife Extension Office at 903-675-6130 or email hendersoncmga@gmail.com.

Dallas: Texas A&M AgriLife Water University: Sprinkler System Quick Fixes & System Operation will be presented 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Thursday, March 19, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building E Auditorium, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Is your sprinkler system turning on the wrong day? Do you have a leak or broken head? Did your city give you a warning? Learn how to make very basic hands on repairs & maintenance to home automatic sprinkler systems, how your sprinkler system operates and its components as well as how to program and reprogram your sprinkler controller utilizing the best and most efficient ways to water your landscape like, the soak and cycle method and other water efficiency practices. A properly functioning sprinkler system saves you time, money, and water! Cost: Free. Register online at: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

San Antonio: Dr. Dotty Woodson, Water Resource Program Specialist, Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center - Dallas willl present "Carnivorous Plants," Thursday, March 19, 6-8:30 p.m. 1.5 CEUs for MGs. Free. Bexar County Master Gardners Meeting begins with a social time at 6pm followed by the special presentation at 6:30pm at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, Suite 208, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Topic: You don't have to be a kid to be fascinated by plants that eat bugs! Learn all kinds of interesting information about Carnivorous Plants. Dottie Woodson's programs cover landscape water conservation practices, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, irrigation efficiency and drip irrigation. She works with county Extension agents, water utilities and districts, elected officials, nurserymen, landscapers, irrigation and rainwater harvesting professionals, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalist and homeowners. For more information, email Barbara Lutz, BCMG President, at President@bexarmg.org or call 210-467-6575.

Tomball: Linda Crum will present "Attracting Bluebirds to the Garden" at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 19, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.  

Round Top: The 20th Annual Plant and Gift Sale sponsored by the Herb Society of America (Pioneer Unit) will take place March 20-21: plants and gifts for sale, Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Round Top Festival Hill, 248 Jaster Road, Round Top, free admission For additional information, visit www.herbsocietypioneer.org.

Conroe: The Montgomery County Master Gardeners are having their annual Spring Sale, featuring perennials, vegetables, herbs and more, on Saturday, March 21, at 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. Program is at 8 a.m.; sale is from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information, call 936-539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.

Gonzales: The Gonzales Master Gardeners' 5th Annual Spring Plant Sale will be held Saturday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in downtown Gonzales on Texas Heroes Square located just west of Gonzales County Court House. Shoppers will have the opportunity to make their selections from an assortment of vegetables, herbs, annual and perennial plants, succulents, cacti, and houseplants. A wide variety of vegetable plants will include heirloom tomato plants, various pepper varieties and much more. A great selection of herbs for the garden will be available. Check out the not-so-common perennials, hanging baskets, bromeliads, and dish gardens that will also be offered for sale. Bring your gardening questions to the "Ask the Master Gardener" booth and stop by to bid on the wide variety of items in the silent auction. Food and drink will also be available for sale. Contact Fran Saliger for more information at 830-672-2953.

McKinney: Now in its fifth year, The Collin County Master Gardener Association's Garden Show offers up a feast for the senses and a bountiful harvest of ideas, classes, vendors, and activities for the whole family. Whether a novice or a veteran, a gardener's education is never complete. There is no place better than The Garden Show to learn more about North Texas gardening, and Earth-Kind gardening principles. The Garden Show will take place on March 21 & 22, at beautiful Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney. Demonstrations and presentations will run throughout the show on a variety of gardening topics. Subjects will include Vegetable Gardening, Herbs, Rainwater Harvesting, Earth-Kind Perennials, Container Gardening, and Turfgrass Management. Don't miss a special Sunday session on Proper Tree Care and Pruning presented by Rick Zampino with Advanced Tree Care. The Garden Show is an indoor event, so come rain or shine! Find room to grow and dig up a bushel of ideas at The Garden Show! Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, March 22. Entry on both days is a donation of $2 per person. Parking is free! All proceeds will benefit the CASA of Collin County. Visit www.ccmgatx.org/TheGardenShow , or call 972-548-4232 for up-to-date information.

San Antonio: San Antonio Garden Center is hosting their popular Annual Plant Sale Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at 3310 N. New Braunfels @ Funston, San Antonio. Admission is free. The plant sale features a wide variety of drought tolerant native plants, perennials, bedding plants, flowers and herbs - all from local growers. For more information, visit SanAntonioGardenCenter.org or call 21- 824-9981.

Tomball: Greg Grant, Texas Gardener columnist, will present "The Greg Grant Collection" at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.

Tomball: Stephanie Baker will present "Gardening with Children" at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 22, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.

Bryan: Dwight Bohlmeyer, Program Manager for the Salter Farm Education Research Institute for Quantum Physics & Engineering at Texas A&M University, will discuss "Spring Wildflowers of the Salter Research Farm," Tuesday, March 24, 2015, 7-8 p.m. at the Brazos Center, Room 102, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan. For more information, visit www.brazosmg.com or call 979-823-0129.

Dallas: Composting will be presented 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Thursday, March 24, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building C Large Hall, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Cost: Free  

Tomball: Jeremy Kollaus will present "Edible for the Landscape and Containers," Wednesday, March 25, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.

Dallas: Texas A&M AgriLife Water University: Lawn Care Maintenance will be presented 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Thursday, March 26, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building E Auditorium, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Is the green in your lawn weeds or grass? Do you have brown circles in your yard? Proper lawn care maintenance is a key component to a healthy lawn. This program covers basic lawn maintenance practices and selecting the right turf grass to improve the health and longevity of your landscape. You will learn how to maintain your landscape using less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Cost: Free. Register online at: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

Nacogdoches: Best Azalea Trail Symposium Yet, "Texas Forest Country-Azalea Trails and Gardens," will be held March 26-29. The 2015 national Azalea Society of America convention, co-hosted by the Stephen F. Austin State University SFA Gardens and the Texas Chapter of the ASA, is coming to town for our best weekend azalea bloom time-the end of March. Five speakers will discuss hunting for, growing, and gardening with azaleas. Visit four SFA Gardens, including the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, the largest in Texas, and six private gardens in town. The Texas Chapter of the ASA is also selling azaleas and hydrangeas that have been SFA Gardens favorites. Read all about the offerings and registration information-including ASA new member ($30/yr) application-at the following links: www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu,www.nacogdochesazaleas.org or the national ASA Web pages www.azaleas.org .

Bryan: Join the Brazos County Master Gardeners' Association at their Spring 2015 Plant Sale, at 2619 Highway 21 West, Bryan, Saturday, March 28. A wide selection of unusual plants adapted to Brazos County will be offered - Heirloom plants, pass-along plants, natives, perennials, vegetables, herbs, and bulbs - many from the gardens of local Master Gardeners. There will be a pre-sale talk and early preview of plants from 8:30-9 a.m. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions and help with plant selection. Come early, bring a wagon to fill with must-have plants and enjoy a wonderful time with fellow Brazos County gardeners. For more information, visit www.brazosmg.com or call 979-823-0129.

Huntsville: Herb Festival at the Wynne Home will be held Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at 1428 Eleventh Street, Huntsville. Sponsored by the Texas Thyme Unit of the Herb Society of America. Herb, butterfly and hummingbird, camellias and citrus plants for sale. Herbal and garden vendors, artists, musicians, food, and children's activities. Speakers: Bill Varney of UrbanHERBAL, Dave Whitinger of Allthingsplants.com, and Master Gardener Bonney Kennedy.

The Festival is FREE. For information, call 936-891-5024 or visit www.facebook.com/texasthymeunit.

Quitman: The Wood County chapter of Texas Master Gardeners will host a spring conference featuring speaker Steven L. Chamblee, March 28, at Quitman High School, 1101 East Goode Street, Quitman. "Time to Plant Smarter" will focus on plants and gardening methods specifically for east Texas. Chamblee is the Chief Horticulturist for Chandor Gardens in Weatherford, Texas. He serves as Consulting Editor and Author for a gardening magazine, writes a monthly e-newsletter column entitled "Native Son," and is an Adjunct Instructor for Tarrant County College and Texas Christian University's Extended Education. He will introduce Texas Tough Plants which are environmentally friendly and native to the state. This will be especially informative for people new to the area or state and adapting to Texas weather and seasons. He will cover subjects on trees, shrubs and color with emphasis on heavily flowering herbaceous perennials. The conference will also have mini-seminars on native plants, rainwater harvesting and worm farming. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Door prizes will be awarded and refreshments will be available. For more information contact: Gloria Jean Rosewall at gloriajeanerosewall@gmail.com; Roy Culbertson at royculb@gmail.com; or Lin Grado at lingrado@gmail.com.

Waxahachie: The Ellis County Master Gardeners will host their 15th Annual Lawn & Garden Expo on Saturday, March 28, from 9-5 p.m. at the Waxahachie Civic Center, 2000 Civic Center Lane, Waxahachie. Keynote speakers will be Steve Smith & James Jeffers of "Eat The Yard." Steve & James work with returning veterans who aspire to become farmers as well as individuals who are seeking the joy of growing some of their own food in their yards. Randy Johnson, owner of the Blackland Seed Company, will discuss "Pollinators and Natives - An Ancient Marriage." Monica Nyenhuis and Susan Knapp, Ellis County Master Gardeners, will present a demonstration on how to save seeds for more adaptive plants and to save money. There will be 100+ exhibitor booths focusing on lawn- and garden-related products and services. There will be educational opportunities with the emphasis on fun for the whole family. Free hands-on activities for children will be lead by the Ellis County Master Gardeners. There will be a plant sale in the Master Gardener area, as well as an Information Booth where Master Gardener specialists will answer horticultural questions. Tickets at the door are $5.00; children under 12 are free. Free tickets are available from sponsors after March 1. For a list of sponsors, as well as further information on the Expo, visit www.ecmga.com or call 972-825-5175.

Dallas: Texas A&M AgriLife Water University: Landscape Basics will be presented 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building E Auditorium, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Is your landscape brown and crispy? Learn to create and install a water efficient landscape or garden. You will learn proper soil preparation, native and adaptive plant selection, and how to design and plan a small or large project. Plant list provided. Cost: Free. Register online at: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses.