Like its cousins the northern and Mexican spotted owls, the California spotted owl lives in old-growth forests that have been decimated by over a century of logging, roadbuilding and development.

Found throughout the Sierra Nevada and the southern coast ranges, this agile predator has been declining by as much as 10% annually throughout the 1990's, placing it in serious danger of extinction. Despite this decline, the Forest Service has failed to devise an effective plan to protect the owl's habitat. In April of 2000, the Center for Biological Diversity, along with the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, filed a petition to have the California spotted owl listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Once the California spotted owl is listed, the species will be protected throughout its entire range.