AMES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and several agriculture groups have convened to launch new efforts to conserve the monarch butterfly’s habitat across the state. Iowa State University on Monday announced its involvement in the so-called Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium with the DNR and the state Department of Agriculture, among other farmer and conservation organizations. Officials say the project employs a science-based approach to improve monarch butterfly reproduction and foster community conservation efforts.

The partnership comes after the federal government allocated $3.2 million to help save the monarch butterfly, whose population has seen a 90 percent decline in recent years. According to a news release, ISU has been tasked with leading research to develop best practices for maintaining milkweed plants in both rural and urban areas of the state.