Monarch CCAA Toolkit

This document outlines the information required for enrollment in the CCAA. 

Updated 04/19/2024. Previous versions of application still acceptable. 

This spreadsheet was developed to help Applicants estimate annual administrative fees for the first 5 years of enrollment in the CCAA. A video guide of this document is provided in the Video Tutorials tab.

This document provides a checklist of needed resources and information in order to enroll in the CCAA.

Updated July 27, 2023.

This document is a step-by-step guide to help the Applicant provide sufficient documentation to satisfy the application requirements as it relates to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s verification of its compliance with Section 7. A video guide of this document is provided in the Video Tutorials tab.

This guidance, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, can assist CCAA applicants with the development of Avoidance and Minimizations Measures (AMMs) based on previously submitted applications. The intent is to share helpful examples that applicants can adopt or build upon for their own applications.

This document covers frequently asked questions about CCAA Administrative Fees.

This document outlines available application discounts and other benefits for industry supporters.

This document provides recommendations for determining which parcels of land should be included in the CCAA enrolled acres and what activities are covered. A video guide of this document is provided in the Video Tutorials tab.

This document provides guidance on making modifications to Certificates of Inclusion, including a fillable PDF form to formally make such requests to the Program Administrator.

Updated: 4/24/2025

This document describes key takeaways and frequently asked questions as related to energy and transportation organizations regarding the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly in December 2024.

Dive into the basics of the Monarch CCAA with this Introduction to the Monarch CCAA Flyer for energy and transportation partners. 

This document shares the ability to enroll in the CCA, and the expectations of the agencies enrolling.

This guidance document summarizes the different considerations for the timing of enrollment in the Monarch CCAA.

Updated 5/15/2024.

This document provides insights on how the Agreement can leverage a return on conservation investments made by participants of the CCAA.

This document provides a variety of talking points on the listing decision extension and what it means for the Monarch CCAA.

This document provides a variety of talking points to educate and promote external stakeholders to consider adopting voluntary conservation by enrolling in the monarch CCAA or supporting further CCAA development and conservation implementation.

This document provides a variety of talking points to encourage and educate potential applicants (specifically managers and field operations staff) to consider adopting voluntary conservation by enrolling in the monarch CCAA and supporting further CCAA development.

This frequently asked questions is oriented primarily towards specific implementation questions commonly encountered by organizations considering enrollment in the Agreement.

This brochure created by the Federal Highway Administration gives a preliminary introduction to the Monarch CCAA for highway agencies interested in participating. 

This document contains a list of FAQs, which provide a better understanding of the nationwide monarch butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for transportation and energy lands.

This Strategy outlines a comprehensive approach to tackling and reducing the impact of multiple stressors on pollinator health, including pests and pathogens, reduced habitat, lack of nutritional resources, and exposure to pesticides.

The Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Lands (Monarch CCAA) was finalized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the University of Illinois-Chicago on April 7, 2020. This document details the background, purpose, roles, requirements, and procedures for the implementation of the Monarch CCAA.

The Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement for Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Lands (Monarch CCAA; Agreement) was approved as an integrated Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) and a Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA). This memorandum clarifies the ability of federal agencies to enroll in the CCA-portion of the Agreement and the corresponding expectations of those agencies choosing to do so.

This addendum provides supplemental updates to the monitoring protocol described in the Monarch CCAA, Section 14.2. These additions and changes were made as a result of coordination between the Program Administrator, CCAA Partners, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following the first year of program monitoring.

The permit document, issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on April 3, 2020, identifies the authorizations, terms and conditions of the Monarch CCAA, including required coordination with federal land management agencies and buffer zone activities.

This document summarizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s final findings and recommendations following the public comment period and Enhancement of Survival Permit criteria analysis.

This document provides the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Environmental Action Statement determining that the Monarch CCAA qualifies for a categorical exclusion from further NEPA review and documentation.

This document provides the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological and conference opinions based on the review of the Monarch CCAA and its effects to the monarch butterfly, species listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA, and designated proposed critical habitat. 

This document summarizes substantive changes that were made to the final Monarch CCAA following the public comment period.

This guidance document is intended to provide clarity on acceptable approaches for suitable habitat idle lands, or set-asides, and how they should be tracked towards CCAA compliance reporting.

This handout provides an overview of management for milkweed on rangelands, including methods to mitigate risks to livestock as well as general recommendations to support pollinator habitat in these areas.

This document provides guidance for federal agency representatives to navigate section 7 review responsibilities towards organizations enrolled in the CCAA. 

This document provides a background of the CCAA and the work involved with the program. It gives insight into the cause, conservation measures, and habitat monitoring.

This is a new supplemental measure that applies to Southeastern Partners for Spring 2024. In response to predicted low overwintering numbers for the eastern monarch butterfly population, a new supplemental measure has been created to provide extra support for the first generation of monarchs migrating north from Mexico.

This guidance document is intended to provide clarity on acceptable approaches for conservation mowing, and how they should be tracked towards CCAA compliance reporting.

This guidance document provides clarification on what is required for supplemental measures to qualify for a deduction in the annual administrative fee.

This informational memo developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service documents the programmatic Conference Opinion and Biological Opinion and Section 7 review process for the Monarch CCAA. Federal land management agencies may use these reviews to streamline Section 7 conferences or consultations for actions carried out by CCAA Partners if the monarch is listed as endangered or threatened. Partner-specific memos can be provided by the USFWS upon request.

This guidance document provides information about using mitigation lands as adopted acres in the Monarch CCAA.

This document was developed with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to address frequently asked questions and common concerns regarding adaptive management and the CCAA.  

Appendix C of the Agreement outlines the Service’s protocol for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). This guidance is intended to help Applicants and Partners understand when and where activities are subject to review, roles involved with the Agreement’s Section 106 compliance, and ways to limit the potential triggers for this requirement to minimize administrative compliance.

This document, developed in coordination with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provides guidance on implementing Section 7 consultations under the Monarch CCAA. 

Updated 4/24/23.

Use this map maintained by the Xerces Society to find overwintering site locations in the West.

This document provides a template for completing an Implementation Plan as required during the first year of enrollment in the CCAA.

Updated 07/01/2021.

This document is an example Implementation Plan for an energy or transportation organization. The Implementation Plan covers general timing and prescriptions for conservation measures; timing for tracking, monitoring and reporting; adopted acre ramp-up; Section 7 internal review; funding for implementation; and a monitoring plan.

Monarch Joint Venture prepared this handout providing recommended time frames by region during which mowing or other management practices may be less detrimental to local monarch populations.

Find a variety of best management practices and related guidance documents in the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group’s Resources Library.

Learn more about the Monarch CCAA’s DOD initiative, which connects installation staff to intersecting ROW organizations in order to improve management coordination on overlapping easements to support pollinator habitat.

Dive into the the basics of the Monarch CCAA with this Introduction to the Monarch CCAA Flyer.

This example self-certification form can be used by landowners to document their incidental take coverage under the buffer zone provision of the Monarch CCAA permit.

This guide, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and American Farm Bureau Federation, provides information about the Monarch CCAA relevant to landowners on or adjacent to enrolled and adopted acres.

This spreadsheet provides a template for tracking effectiveness monitoring requirements in a tabular format. Also included is a calculator to help CCAA Partners perform their adaptive management calculations.

Updated 12/15/2023.

This addendum provides supplemental updates to the monitoring protocol described in the Monarch CCAA, Section 14.2. These additions and changes were made as a result of coordination between the Program Administrator, CCAA Partners, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following the first year of program monitoring.

This checklist helps CCAA Partners navigate various monitoring-related references and resources available for the Monarch CCAA and Pollinator Scorecard.

This guidance document provides information about using mitigation lands as adopted acres in the Monarch CCAA.

This addendum provides the modified process of assessing adaptive management to recognize nectar plant contributions from Midwest and Eastern Partners. 

This document covers the sampling protocols for Effectiveness Modelling and Compliance Reporting, Biological Effectiveness Monitoring Expectations, Monitoring Requirements, Sampling Methods, and Sampling Frequency.

The Pollinator Scorecard and Management Module was developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group to evaluate pollinator habitat and management practices on rights-of-way and other energy and transportation lands. The User’s Guide provides background information and protocols for using the Pollinator Scorecard and Management Module.

The Tier 1 datasheet is a high-level assessment developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, which can be quickly used to determine if pollinator habitat is present. It is intended to be used by anyone, with minimal training or plant identification skills required. Use with the Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide.

The Tier 1 datasheet is a high-level assessment developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, which can be quickly used to determine if pollinator habitat is present. It is intended to be used by anyone, with minimal training or plant identification skills required. Use with the Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide.

The Tier 2 datasheet, developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, can be used to generally assess habitat quality. It can be used by most assessors but some skill level is required to identify percent plant cover, flowering plants in bloom, habitat resources, and management threats and opportunities. Use with the Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide.

The Tier 3 datasheet, developed by the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working group, provides a more detailed assessment of habitat quality. It is intended for advanced users who are able to identify most plants to species level. Use with the Pollinator Scorecard User’s Guide.

The Pollinator Scorecard Management Module is used to evaluate the suitability of management activities for pollinator habitat on each plot or site. This tool provides valuable information to consider alongside the habitat quality ratings.

This document provides a template monitoring plan to support monitoring for the Monarch CCAA. A monitoring plan is not required, however, some organizations may find a plan helpful for many reasons, including maintaining consistency from surveyor to surveyor (year to year) or to document organization-specific procedures for quality control purposes.

This document is a Memorandum of Agreement between the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which provides example contract language that Partners could use when working with contractors to conduct biological effectiveness monitoring for the CCAA.

This online reporting tool allows all CCAA partners to submit their annual compliance report to UIC. It allows partners to enter all of the information that was previously found in the annual reporting template, as well as attach the required map of enrolled acres, compliance tracking sheet, and effectiveness monitoring sheet.

This online tool organizes all CCAA partners by state and allows a user to filter for a specific state of interest. This tool can be used during annual reporting to determine which partners might have overlapping acres.

This addendum provides the modified process of assessing adaptive management to recognize nectar plant contributions from Midwest and Eastern Partners.

This spreadsheet provides a template for tracking effectiveness monitoring requirements in a tabular format. Also included is a calculator to help CCAA Partners perform their adaptive management calculations.

Updated 12/15/2023.

This document provides guidance on making modifications to Certificates of Inclusion, including a fillable PDF form to formally make such requests to the Program Administrator. 

Updated 3/21/2025

This document provides a checklist of needed resources and information to submit an annual report.

This document provides a simple template for completing the annual reporting requirement. The new online annual reporting form is available here.

This spreadsheet provides a template for tracking compliance requirements. An example from a utility perspective is also provided.

Updated December 6, 2023.

This document give an example of an annual report from a utility perspective. The CCAA requires NCB reporting, a summary of effectiveness monitoring, and an upcoming year annual forecast.

This guidance is intended to help partners accurately estimate the area tracked as adopted acres based on targeted herbicide applications as a conservation measure. 

The Compliance Tracking  Table summarizes the data expected to be collected by Partners in areas where conservation measures are implemented in order to document contributions to the adopted acres target for the partner.

The Training Outline for planning staff provides a training program for interested Applicants and Partners to promote consistency and best practices in implementation of the Agreement.

The Training Program for field staff provides a training program for interested Applicants and Partners to promote consistency and best practices in implementation of the Agreement.

This video provides an overview of the CCAA annual reporting requirements.

Updated December 2023.

This video tutorial introduces Monarch CCAA participants to the CCAA Reporting Tool in ArcGIS Pro. 

This video provides a step-by-step tutorial on filling out the CCAA application template.

This video describes how an organization can determine which lands to include in the CCAA and what activities are covered.

This video provides a brief overview of the Administrative Fees Calculator to estimate annual fees for the first 5 years of enrollment in the CCAA.

This video reviews the application requirements for Section 7 to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s with their application review.

This video provides a deep dive into the monitoring requirements for the CCAA, including a field demonstration.

This video provides an overview of the implementation plan requirements for the CCAA, including walking through the template and example plan available in the CCAA Toolkit.