U.S. wildlife officials announced a decision Tuesday to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies after years of warnings from environmentalists that populations are shrinking and the beloved pollinator may not survive climate change.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recently announced their decision to extend federal protections for monarch butterflies.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to add the butterfly to the threatened species list by the end of next year following an extensive public comment period.

A monarch butterfly flutters in a field of marigolds, the traditional flower believed to guide the dead back to their loved ones, grown for use during Day of the Dead celebrations, in Boquillas, Mexico October 20,

It’s a big day for insects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it is proposing the monarch butterfly for threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act, a big step forward in a process set in motion in 2014 with a petition from conservationists.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Tuesday that the monarch butterfly be protected under the Endangered Species Act, an effort that would give the iconic pollinator space to recover after years of declining populations.

The loss of pollinators like the monarch could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and the people who rely on them.