The monarch butterfly's annual migratory journey from Mexico to the U.S. and then Canada is a breeze compared to the federal government's lengthy process to protect the dwindling species. Why it matters: The monarch — whose population has declined more than 80% since the 1990s — has waited more than 10 years for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The Trump administration is reopening public comment on a proposed rule that would list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Just a few years ago, the eastern monarch was considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature after populations decreased over 80% in the last thirty years. The species may be beginning to rebound, though, and last year, the butterfly occupied almost twice as much forest habitat.