Western monarch overwintering numbers have declined by more than 90% since the 1980s. Although the geographic footprint of the overwintering sites used by western monarchs is small compared to their migratory range, the conservation of these sites is essential for ensuring that the migration continues, but significant knowledge gaps remain and have hindered effective conservation action to protect this stage of the migratory cycle.

As part of a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service International Programs and the U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, the Xerces Society brought together forty key researchers, land managers, state and federal agency representatives, and conservationists for an in-person meeting in May 2023 for collaborative strategic planning of shared priorities of western monarch overwintering science. This fact sheet summarizes the priority themes and key questions that arose from the meeting.