Once again, LADWP is taking more water out of the Eastern Sierra and sending it to LA. This time, they are taking it from the ranchers in Long Valley and degrading the environment. CBS This Morning aired a piece on this issue today that presents the key elements of the the issue. We'd like to respond to what LADWP says in the piece when they say they have always provided water for the sage grouse. They have provided water to the ranchers; not the sage grouse. The water the ranchers spread is extremely beneficial to the sage grouse and has maintained wetlands in the valley since the natural wetlands were submerged when Crowley Lake was formed. Also, in 2018 when LADWP first told the ranchers there would be no more water, LADWP did not provide the ranchers any water that spring. BLM, CDFW, and Audubon staff talked to LADWP and pointed out how this would impact the sage grouse in Long Valley. LADWP responded with a very small amount of water mid-summer, long after the sage grouse chicks that relied on the grasses and insects had fledged. It was too little, too late. The next year's count of male sage grouse declined 31% from 152 to 105 males. That was quite a hit to the second largest Bi-state Sage Grouse population unit in California. Water was provided in 2019 and the count came back up to 142. This shows how important water is for wildlife and the how removing water will drive the Bi-state Sage Grouse towards extinction. It is the lack of thinking through their actions that the Sierra Club has joined the lawsuit against LADWP for lack of CEQA compliance with Mono County. CDFW also joined the lawsuit as an interested party. The hearing is set for January 21, 2021.