Parks Service Accused of Destroying Rare Butterfly Habitat

SJI Home To Rarest Butterfly In US. US Fish & Wildlife: Marble Butterfly needs protection to avoid extinction
(Bill Yake photo)

Before its rediscovery on San Juan Island in 1998, the Island Marble had been believed extinct for 90 years. In 2005, two hundred twenty-five surveys were conducted at 110 potential Island Marble sites by staff from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Xerces Society, and local volunteers. As a result of these searches, Island Marble butterflies were found at eleven new locations, although none of the sites had more than five individuals.

The biggest current threat to the Island Marble is mismanagement of its habitat at San Juan Island National Historical Park American Camp, where the only known viable populations reside.

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has issued a press release that stated that in spite of advise from experts on the Island Marble, "American Camp staff sprayed herbicide on over five acres within the Park as part of a prairie-restoration project last summer. This herbicide use devastated core habitat for the Island Marble and likely killed dozens of larvae feeding on plants at the site. The park has now refused to talk with Island Marble experts on how to move forward with future site restoration. If we are going to save the Island Marble from extinction, the National Park Service is going to have to work with experts to understand how to manage its habitat without adversely impacting it, said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society. If they continue with more restoration such as they did last summer, they may drive the Island Marble extinct."

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Lecture: How We Can Save The Sound & The Straits

(People for Puget Sound photo)

The Web of Life Along the Pacific Flyway, a natural history lecture series, presents Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director of People for Puget Sound, at the Grange, Wednesday February 22 @ 7 PM. Her topic will be, How We Can Save The Sound And The Straits."

She will talk about the state of the Sound and Straits, the governor's new Puget Sound initiative, People for Puget Sound, how each of us can help protect the Sound and Strait's beauty and bounty for future generations and other topics.


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