Dear Ciomara, America's federal lands are some of the most pristine and beautiful parts of our country, yet the use of toxic herbicides on federal land by our own government is contributing to the steep decline in one of our nation's most iconic species. Monarch butterflies are on the brink of extinction due to the overuse of herbicides like Monsanto's Roundup that use the toxic chemical glyphosate. In just two decades of skyrocketing glyphosate use, monarch populations have plunged so low that we are in real danger of losing a true marvel of nature in our lifetimes: the annual monarch migration. We must act now to urge the U.S. government to cease using glyphosate-containing herbicides, like Monsanto's Roundup, that are completely destroying monarch habitat on federal land. That's why I started my own campaign on CREDOMobilize.com, which allows activists to start their own petitions. My petition, which is to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, says the following: The unchecked spraying of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, has contributed to an alarming decline in the monarch butterfly population in just two decades. We urge you to ban the use of glyphosate and encourage the planting of milkweed and other native prairie plants on federal lands. Monarchs migrate every year from Canada to Mexico and back. In 1996, an estimated 1 billion monarch butterflies migrating to forests in central Mexico covered nearly 50 acres. But in 2013, they only covered the area about the size of a football field. This dramatic decrease in monarch populations is due to the loss of their primary breeding habitat and food source: milkweed. These plants that are so crucial to the monarchs' survival have been nearly eradicated on their migration path. It is estimated that as much as 165 million acres of habitat has been lost since the 1990s. Like many other plants, milkweed has been destroyed in great numbers in the Midwest due to the widespread use of glyphosate on corn and soy fields. Recovering monarch butterflies before they vanish completely is an achievable goal, and one that future generations should expect of us. We must immediately take steps to stop this extinction by restricting the use of glyphosate and working to bring back milkweed before it's too late. Thank you for your support. Rep. Chellie Pingree | 
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