SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Four state agencies have signed a pact to protect monarch butterflies and other important pollinators whose numbers are dwindling.

Representatives of the Illinois Departments of Natural Resources, Transportation and Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency signed onto the Illinois Monarch Action Plan on Friday.Monarchs feed on nectar and pollinate numerous wildflowers.

Milkweed is a favorite among monarch caterpillars.The project brings together public and private agencies and residents to preserve necessary habitat for monarchs to survive and continue their crucial migration.

The plan calls for 1.3 billion new stems of milkweed in the central U.S. Illinois’ contribution is 150 million stems by 2038.