Robin Hart: The real Nevada County gold

After the mines closed in the 1950s, Grass Valley and Nevada City reinvented themselves as tourist and retirement destinations, which is why Robin Hart chose to live and retire here. Will Rise Gold's plans to reopen the mine spoil it all?

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I have been a resident of Nevada County for more than 20 years. My husband and I moved here for the small-town charm, robust arts scene, natural beauty (as the gateway to the Sierra), as well as a good place to retire someday.

When we recently sold our home in Alta Sierra after 20 years, we decided we loved this area so much that we stayed and moved closer to town to spend our retirement years. Now Rise Gold has plans to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine and spoil all of this.

After the mines closed in the 1950s, Grass Valley and Nevada City reinvented themselves as tourist and retirement destinations. Thousands of people come every year for our fair, many concerts, festivals and street fairs like Cornish and Victorian Christmas and destination weddings. People enjoy our historic downtowns in both places. They also come to play in our forests and lakes.

Who will want to live here if our towns become an industrial wasteland?

Read the rest in The Union.

Robin Hart lives in Grass Valley.