Seven conservation groups have petitioned the U-S Fish and Wildlife Department to put the California spotted owl on the endangered species list. It’s the second time in four years the groups have sought official protection for the owl, which lives throughout the Sierra Nevada and California's southern coast. Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity says the expansion of logging is the main danger to the owls. GREENWALD :13—Bush administration plans call for increasing logging in the Sierra Nevada substantially and that logging threatens the California spotted owl and other species that depend on old growth forests. Environmentalists say the birds are also vulnerable to West Nile Virus and a predator, the Barred Owl, which has been known to attack and kill spotted owls. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says the petition is under review. The agency has up to one year to respond. Bob Hensley KXJZ News.