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.
|