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Nevada County Supervisors will consider Rise's petition for vested rights in a public hearing at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, December 13 in the Board chambers, Rood Center, 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City; with a second day added on Thursday, December 14, if necessary to accommodate public testimony and deliberation. Wednesday December 13th is the most critical day to attend. Please attend if you can! Even though the County's staff report is recommending a NO vote on Rise's petition for vested rights, this fight isn't over yet. We need to fill the room and remind Supervisors of the overwhelming community opposition to the Mine. If they vote no on vested rights, they still need to schedule a final vote on the original use permit and weather Rise Gold's inevitable legal challenges. They need to know that this community is NOT backing down! The Board has made it clear they will be restricting public comment to testimony related to the petition only. If history isn’t your thing, it’s OK to take a pass on public comment this time and save it for the next hearing. Read on to learn about: Public Hearing Details Parking and Transit Food Public Hearing Schedule How to Participate in Public Comment Written Comments Background on Vested Rights Petition and How We Got Here Resources for Learning More about Vested Rights Public Hearing Details: Wednesday, December 13, 9 a.m. If necessary, the hearing may be continued to Thursday, December 14, beginning at 9 a.m. Eric Rood Administrative Center, Board of Supervisor Chamber, First Floor, 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. View live online on Nevada County’s YouTube Channel. Parking and Transit: Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited. In the afternoon, the parking lot will become more impacted as visitors arrive for Nevada City’s Victorian Christmas and park at the Rood Center. Food: Java John’s Nevada County Café will be open from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. to provide food and drinks for purchase. Public Hearing Schedule: Presentations from the applicant and from County staff related to the history of the use at the site and the governing law on vested rights. Public comment. Members of the public who wish to address the Board of Supervisors should attend the December 13 meeting as there may not be a second day of hearings on December 14. Please see the “How to Participate” section below. Board questions and comments. Board deliberations. The Board can then make a final determination on whether the petition for vested rights should be granted. How to Participate in Public Comment: Due to the limited nature of this hearing, those wishing to comment will have three minutes, and any comment must be limited to the historical uses of the site and factual evidence of activities that have occurred on or at the site. Because it is not relevant to this hearing, no public comment will be allowed regarding support or opposition to the mine, the Idaho Maryland Mine’s Draft Environmental Impact Report, the use permit, the reclamation plan, and/or any other land use entitlement, and/or any other potential impacts of the mine, or any history pertaining to Rise Grass Valley or related businesses. All those comments should be reserved for either of the next hearings, as described under “Next steps” below. To provide public comment, receive a number from County staff outside the Supervisors’ Chamber. Public comment numbers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8:30 am. (They will also be available continuously until the public comment has concluded.) Speakers will provide public comment to the Board of Supervisors in the Supervisors’ Chamber in groups of ten. Written Comment: All written public comments should be received by 4 p.m. the day before the hearing (December 12) for it to become part of the public record. Email to clerkofboard@nevadacountyca.gov. Mailed to the Nevada County Clerk of the Board at 950 Maidu Ave, Suite 200, Nevada City, CA 95959. Submit eComment, available once the Agenda for the meeting is posted (December 8). Alternatively, as a last resort, you may submit printed and written copies of your comment directly to the Clerk of the Board at the Board of Supervisors’ Public Hearing. Background on Vested Rights Petition and How We Got Here At this year’s May 11 public hearing for the Idaho-Maryland Mine, the Nevada County Planning Commission voted unanimously against the Mine’s Use Permit and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Now faced with the real possibility of a NO vote by the Board of Supervisors at the final hearings, Rise Gold is trying an unusual tactic aimed at side-stepping the normal use permit process by claiming they have a "vested right" to reopen the mine. Under both state case law and County code, a property owner may acquire a vested right to continue a use that existed at the time zoning regulations changed. Since the Idaho-Maryland Mine was open in 1954 when the County implementing new requirements, it may have had a vested right to continue mining at that time. But the right to continue is not permanent, and the burden of proof is on the applicant to establish the vested rights. If the Board denies the Petition, the County will resume processing Rise’s application to open the Idaho-Maryland Mine and schedule a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors early in 2024 for the final vote on the Environmental Impact Report and Use Permit. Resources for Learning More about Vested Rights News Coverage The Union | YubaNet Nevada County Releases Staff Report on Rise Grass Valley’s vested rights petition ahead of December 13 Hearing County Resources Petition for Vested Rights Board of Supervisor Staff Report News Flash: Nevada County Releases Staff Report on Rise Grass Valley Vested Rights Petition How to Participate in the Board of Supervisors’ Hearing on the Vested Rights | Nevada County CA Civic Alerts CEA Foundation / MineWatch Comments and Resources Press Release: CEA Foundation Weighs in on Rise Gold’s Vested Rights Petition | MineWatchNC.org Historical Review: CEA Foundation Review and Analysis of the Rise Grass Valley Vested Rights Petition (PDF) Legal analysis: Response to Idaho-Maryland Mine Vested Rights Petition (PDF)

Claiming a ‘right to mine’ after a 67-Year closure is absurd. Local opposition leader CEA Foundation provided a review and analysis of the petition to help inform the Nevada County Supervisor's decision. For Immediate Release: November 1, 2023 Contacts: Traci Sheehan Community Environmental Advocates Foundation traci@cea-nc.org PRESS RELEASE CEA Foundation Weighs in on Rise Gold’s Vested Rights Petition Claiming ‘Right to Mine’ After 67-Year Closure Called Absurd Grass Valley, CA – Nevada County Supervisors will soon consider whether or not to approve an eleventh-hour petition to grant “vested rights” to Rise Grass Valley, a subsidiary of Rise Gold. The Canadian-headquartered junior mining company is aiming to reopen a gold mine that shut down 67 years ago. To inform their decision, local opposition leader CEA Foundation has provided a review and analysis of the petition. Following the regulatory changes initiated by Nevada County in 1954, mining projects were required to obtain a Use Permit. As an existing and continuing operation in 1954, the Idaho-Maryland Mine was probably exempt from the requirement at that time. Under both state case law and County code, a property owner may acquire a vested right to continue a use that existed at the time zoning regulations changed. But the right to continue is not permanent, and the burden of proof is on the applicant to establish the vested rights. According to the CEA Foundation review, the Rise Grass Valley Vested Rights Petition ignores clear mandates in the County’s Land Use and Development Code which hold that any vested right to mine expires once a nonconforming use is discontinued for one year. The mine shut down in 1956. Assets were liquidated shortly thereafter. The mine was then allowed to re-flood. All mining had ceased by 1957 and the mine has not operated since. Once the mine was abandoned, vested rights to continue mining were presumably lost. “The notion that Rise could retain a legal right to resume mining that was abandoned over sixty years ago is absurd,” said CEA Foundation President Ralph Silberstein. “Petitioning for vested rights so late in the approval process is an act of desperation, apparently in response to the County Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendations to deny the project.” Rise’s Petition, however, provides a narrative of continuing operations covering the period from 1956 to the present. To achieve this, evidence such as an owner being “...convinced the Mine would be operational again…”, a third party running a sawmill on adjacent lands, and salvaging old surface tailings to be sold as aggregate, are used to build a story about continuous operations at the Idaho-Maryland Mine. But the CEA Foundation review came to a different conclusion: that the story doesn’t hold up either legally or historically. An owner’s “intent” to resume mining doesn’t qualify for vested rights. And while sawmills and aggregate operations did happen from time to time, both activities are distinct from the core business of gold mining that would be required to qualify for vested rights. In the Petition, Rise relies heavily on selected passages of the 1996 Hansen Brothers case, which awarded vested rights to an aggregate processing operation. However, the Hansen ruling was made under very different and more restrictive conditions. While Hanson Brothers did pause one type of quarrying for a period of time, they kept the business operational and never abandoned their plant, equipment, or utilities. In addition, rights were awarded specific to a single work product that produced an ongoing revenue stream – river and hillside rock combined to sell for aggregate. “If anything, a careful reading of the Hansen case further diminishes Rise’s claim of vested rights”, said Silberstein. CEA Foundation’s review concludes that almost all of the Rise Petition misses the main point – that there is ample evidence the mine was abandoned after 1956, and any vested rights were lost within a year. For example: There has been no recurrence of gold mining at the Idaho-Maryland Mine since it shut down. The EPA has determined it is an abandoned mine. Ben Mossman, recent CEO of Rise Gold, stated “...it has been closed since 1956.” Nevada County Supervisors will consider Rise’s Vested Rights Petition in a public hearing at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, December 13 in the Board chambers, 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City; with a second day added Thursday, December 14, if necessary to accommodate public testimony. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. Public comment will be restricted to historical testimony related to the Petition. If the Board denies the Petition, the County will resume processing Rise’s application to open the Idaho-Maryland Mine and schedule a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors early in 2024 for the final vote on the Environmental Impact Report and Use Permit. A CEA Foundation review of the historical aspects of the Petition can be found at https://bit.ly/CEA-Historical-Analysis-Rise-VR. For more information about the potential re-opening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine visit: www.MineWatchNC.org. *** Community Environmental Advocates Foundation (CEA Foundation) performs research, education, and advocacy to promote responsible land use and environmental protection policies in Nevada County. www.cea-nc.org. CEA Foundation is the leader of MineWatch, a campaign that brings together a coalition of nonprofit organizations, residents, and businesses opposed to the mine. www.MineWatchNC.org. Related comments: Historical Review: CEA Foundation Review and Analysis of the Rise Grass Valley Vested Rights Petition (PDF) Legal analysis: Response to Idaho-Maryland Mine Vested Rights Petition (PDF)

Recent Rise Gold CEO, Ben Mossman, was CEO and Mine Manager of Banks Island Gold in British Columbia in 2015 when environmental regulations were breached. After being found guilty of 13 counts, he was sentenced to $30,000 Canadian dollars. Read the full article in The Northern View. Excerpts: “By failing to ensure that the Yellow Giant Mine had protocols in place to avoid the very failings for which he was convicted, Mossman is the author of his own misfortune,” said Judge David Patterson, Prince Rupert B.C. Provincial Criminal Court. - While Patterson determined Mossman was remorseful for his actions, the Prince Rupert judge said the former CEO and his company were “lucky” their actions did not lead to a full-blown environmental disaster. - The mine’s environmental breaches affected not only the island, but also the Gitxaała people, according to Patterson. “Not only does violating mining permits potentially jeopardize the environment,” he said. “But in the present case, the offences jeopardized the rich resources and economy of the Gitxaała Nation as well as the spiritual beliefs of its people.” - While Gitxaała Chief Councillor Linda Innes said the Nation is happy to see Mossman held accountable, she was dissapointed in what the Nation deemed an insufficent punishment. “While Mr. Mossman is certainly accountable for the horrendous example of what happens when bad mines are allowed to operate without clear oversight and accountability to Indigenous Rights and Title holders, these shamefully light administrative penalties amount to nothing but small fractions of the costs of correcting the devastation left behind,” Innes said.

Mining is our Past. Not Our Future. Subscribe to eNews Protect our air, water, and quality of life. Stop the Idaho-Maryland Mine. Rise Gold, a junior mining company with a questionable history, wants to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, CA. ACTION ALERT! Please join us at the Public Hearing on December 13th. We Need A Strong Showing! Supervisors will review Rise's absurd petition for vested rights. ​ Learn more why stop the mine? Residents and businesses from all walks of life know that putting a toxic business in the middle of our beautiful community today is a really bad idea. Nevada County Planning Commissioners recommended a unanimous NO vote on both the project and the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). The final decision lies with the Board of Supervisors in a hearing yet to be scheduled. ​ The project includes significant and unavoidable environmental impacts that endanger this community's health and quality of life. A few jobs and uncertain tax revenues just aren't worth the risk. ​ CEA Foundation Weighs in on Rise's petition for 'vested rights' ​ Read more recent news. Here are our 7 top reasons . Risks our Health HURTS CLIMATE HURTS LOCALS Pollutes our Air Drains our Water SHOULDN'T TRUST RISE GOLD Questionable economic return Learn More INCOMPatible USE Opening the mine next to residential neighborhoods violates the County General Plan. THREATENS WELLS The plan ignores the complexity and expense of providing a "comparable water supply". Can't dispose of mine waste There's no market for the 1000 tons a day of "Restricted" rock material they'll be producing. Huge GHG & ENERGY COST The mine won't achieve net-zero emissions. Energy use negates key County reduction goals. The Project Can't Be Fixed After three years of developm ent, the Final Environmental Impact Report and project plans still don't solve several critical problems. Read more . 26 GROUPS CALL For COUNTY TO 'JUST SAY NO' 26 local and state groups call for denial of the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Grass Valley, California. In a lengthy letter to the Nevada County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, the MineWatch Coalition cites environmental and economic reasons to deny the project. ​ “…the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine is not supported by a majority of Nevada County constituents. Nevada County is no longer a resource extraction county. We have shifted onto a new 21st century green economy. And our residents support this shift. Are a few jobs and uncertain tax revenue worth the risk?” ​ Read more JOIN THE FIGHT Follow us online ​ 1. 2. 3. Read an email or two a month to keep up with the latest project news and learn about volunteer opportunities. We won't share your info. ​ ​ Write a letter. Use our online tool to ask Nevada County Board of Supervisors to just say no to the mine . Send a letter. Show your opposition. Send an email to request a Yard sign | Pin Donate - make a tax-deductible donation to help fund research, community education, and legal fees. Get a free pin Tell us where to send it Get a yard sign Please tell us your address $10 donation recommended Subscribe to eNews 4. Donate businesses ARE against the mine FEATURED news & Opinions Businesses against the mine PRESS RELEASE: CEA Foundation Weighs in on Rise Gold’s Vested Rights Petition Claiming a ‘right to mine’ after a 67-Year closure is absurd. Local opposition leader CEA Foundation provided a review and analysis of... Former B.C. mining mogul fined $30,000 for past environmental infractions Recent Rise Gold CEO, Ben Mossman, was CEO and Mine Manager of Banks Island Gold in British Columbia in 2015 when environmental... Rise Gold’s CEO found guilty on 13 counts in British Columbia retrial "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time." Ben Mossman was found guilty of 13 charges related to discharging... The Allegations in Rise's Complaint letter are Meritless CEA Foundation attorneys analyzed Rise Gold's 164-page complaint letter claiming unfair treatment and lack of due process in reaction to... Earthshaking News: Planning Commission Rejects Mine We won a pivotal victory! All five Planning Commissioners voted unanimously against the Idaho-Maryland Mine at the end of Nevada County's... The County should deny the Idaho-Maryland Mine and should not certify the Final EIR The County's Final Environmental and Economic Impact Reports have been published. On May 11, 2023, the Planning Commission voted... Jim Steinmann: Mine jobs – Harsh, few, and not for locals Rise Gold is touting jobs, jobs, jobs. But reality is not all it's cracked up to be. All this hoopla for 132 local jobs? 12 hour shifts?... John Vaughan: The tale of a wolf, and a gold mine This delightful fable reveals the absurdity of the Rise Gold's financial promises. Vaughan is a retired CIO of Pride Industries. This... Questionable Economic Return A powerhouse panel of community experts reviewed the conclusions of Nevada County's Economic Impact Report in a December 2022 MineWatch... ★ ‘Hung out to dry’: Well owners contend with Idaho-Maryland Mine report’s finding Want to know why people are so worried about impacts to wells and groundwater? This Union article is a must-read. By Shira Moolten Eric... ★ Rise Gold Shouldn’t Be Trusted. Here’s Why. Rise Gold CEO Ben Mossman's prior company polluted tribal waters, went bankrupt, and left Canadians with a bill to pay. Mossman is... CONTROVERSY - RISE GOLD "STUFFING THE BALLOT BOX" During the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report, Rise Gold submitted 1,600 reply cards and form letters as “comments”... READY TO LEARN MORE? BROWSE our library. Play Video Play Video 08:06:30 Nevada County Planning Commission Special Meeting May 10, 2023 Nevada County Planning Commission Special Meeting May 10, 2023 Play Video Play Video 07:40:34 Nevada County Planning Commission Special Meeting May 11, 2023 Nevada County Planning Commission Special Meeting May 11, 2023 Play Video Play Video 02:16:31 No Mine Concert - Nevada City The community continues to stand strong against the proposal to reopen the Idaho-Maryland Mine in Nevada County California. We come together for a concert and picnic to celebrate our resolve, to educate and inspire those who have not joined the opposition yet. CEA Foundation (Community Environmental Advocates), leads the charge in thwarting this bid to grab gold and risk everything from water to clean air. Learn more at www.MineWatchNC.org This free concert was held on July 31, 2022, organized by the Concerned Citizens Roundtable and co-sponsored by CEA Foundation. Play Video Play Video 03:07 Wells Run Dry - Geoff Eido (Official Music Video 2022) This is the official music video for WELLS RUN DRY. The song and video are about an actual Gold Mine that a Canadian company is presently trying to open in Grass Valley, California, which would have devastating effects on the environment including draining the wells of many of the local residents. Featured in the video is a LIVE PROTEST against the mine, as well as a FLASH MOB staged at Robinson Plaza in the heart of Nevada City, CA. Eido wrote this song to inspire people to take a stand against this mine, and to help shift the paradigm for all of us to embrace living in harmony with the environment and honoring the earth, rather than blindly plundering it. ➡️ Get this song: https://songwhip.com/geoffeido/wells-run-dry 🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Uy50Mafr9Jx0fvHXsPhbQ 🚨 Follow Geoff Eido: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffeido Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeoffEido LYRICS -- CHORUS Wells run dry and the people are thirsty Wells run dry and the people awake… You might say your mining claim is what everybody needs Beneath your lying promises is the heart of your greed We won’t let you slip it into the ground beneath our feet Rape our land of treasures that our people sorely need CHORUS Won’t you please do us the decency of not pretending like you care While you fill our space with toxic waste and contaminate our air Rivers have no memory of poison in their veins We will fight for every drop til you abandon all your claims CHORUS It’s time to put the planet back to the place where it belongs The sacred, righteous architect of each and every song Take dominion, exploitation, and greed without remorse Bring harmony and dignity and honoring our source CHORUS -- ✍️ Sign the Petition: Wells Run Dry is inspired by the attempt of a Canadian company to reopen a mine in Grass Valley, California. You can help fight this by signing the petition against it here: https://www.minewatchnc.org/petition 🗒 The effect of this mine would be a massive increase in cancer risk, toxic waste, air pollution, noise pollution, river pollution and the dewatering of many of our neighbors wells. this song is an anthem for the earth and a declaration that THIS WILL NOT PASS! 🎤About Geoff Eido: Geoff Eido is a singer, songwriter, and activist. His passionate spirit inspires maverick music for the masses. The musical expression of Geoff Eido weaves wisdom, laughter, and even rage. Acting as an entertaining antidote to the distortions of our modern society. #GeoffEido #WellsRunDry #OfficialMusicVideo2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4W08pYKmmw Play Video Play Video 02:54 Anti Idaho Maryland Mine for planning Commission Play Video Play Video 13:11 Rise Beyond Gold Documentary film about reopening the mine - featured at Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2021. This community faces a foreign-headquartered company that would mine gold under its feet and leave behind a toxic legacy. Questions are raised about why we desire gold, and ultimately, is it worth it? Bonus content: - Questions & fact clarifications - https://www.cea-nc.org/the-idaho-maryland-mine/review-of-the-film-rise-beyond-gold/ - SYRCL Workshop including panelist Shelly Covert, Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council - https://youtu.be/Kw-NF85XlYo Play Video Play Video 00:50 How To Help Stop The Mine Even small actions make a BIG difference. Listen to MineWatch volunteer Dr. Hazel-Grace Yates talk about why she thinks its important to take action. Play Video Play Video 12:02 Water For Gold A cautionary tale. This nearby mine shut down in the mid-90's after draining resident's wells. See more videos become a minewatcher Sign up for our newsletter to get updates and meeting invitations. Subscribe

one stop action shop ACTION ALERT! Please join us at the Public Hearing on December 13th. We Need A Strong Showing! Supervisors will review Rise's absurd petition for vested rights. ​ Learn more JOIN THE FIGHT Follow us online ​ 1. 2. 3. Read an email or two a month to keep up with the latest project news and learn about volunteer opportunities. We won't share your info. ​ ​ Write a letter . Tell Nevada County Board of Su pervisors (BOS) and Planning Commissioners to Just Say No to the Mine. Send a letter. Show your opposition. Send an email to request a Yard sign | Pin Donate - make a tax-deductible donation to help fund research, community education, and legal fees Get a free pin Tell us where to send it Get a yard sign Please tell us your address $10 donation recommended Subscribe to eNews 4. Donate Donate Your donation helps with political advocacy, community education, and legal fees - including hiring the best legal experts from the highly respected environmental law firm, Shute, Mihaly, and Weinberger. Your donation goes to our sponsor, Community Environmental Advocates Foundation. Our tax ID is 94-3352465. Donate thank you for your support The approval process for the mine is regulated by California's Environment Quality Act (CEQA), making the whole effort a marathon, not a sprint. Here is a quick view of major milestones. For a detailed timeline, visit the Nevada County project page . Here are the highlights: Notice of Preparation - July 2020 - Complete Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) Comments & Public Hearing - Apr 2022 - Complete E conomic Impact Report Released by County - Dec 2022 - Complete (optional, not a CEQA requirement) Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) Comments & Public Hearing - May 2023 - Complete Planning Commission Votes - May 2023 - Complete (It was a unanimous "no" vote) Special Hearing - December 13 &14, 2023 - Supervisors to hear Rise request for "vested rights" Board of Supervisors Votes - Estimated early 2024 Th understand the process Need quick access to our best links for sharing or next-step actions? Get a list of our favorites. Listen to retired Capital Planner, Paul Schwartz, explain the timeline, process, and decision points for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The County is required to produce an environmental report per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His DEIR Explainer presentation begins at 18:00 minutes >>> ​ View Nevada County's detailed project timeline chart here . become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates and monthly meeting invitations. Subscribe

hurts business & Homeowners While Rise Gold shareholders profit, the local community gets little. The few jobs gained are offset by big quality of life impacts for local homeowners, risks for tourism and industry, and 10’s of millions lost in property values. $10's of millions ACTION ALERT Learn More consider the impact Ne arby residents and employees of local businesses wil l share the roads with large trucks carrying mine waste, feel the effects of underground blasting, and hear the sounds of rock processing, loading, spreading, and compacting. Over 75 acres of woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral will also be replaced with industrial buildings and engineered fill. See some of the animals at risk. ​ The County' Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) lists several significant and unavoidable impacts, including traffic, noise, and aesthetics. The EIR proposes to mitigate other impacts, like air quality and vibration, so they are "less than significant", but experts who reviewed the report found serious deficiencies in the analysis. Learn more about the FINAL EIR's deficiencies. ​ The County also commissioned an Economic Impact Report that included an evaluation of impact on property v alues, but the analysis was a big miss. It asserted t hat property values wouldn't decline, but it completely dismissed the input of local real estate experts and didn't use acceptable home appraisal methods for the analysis they did perform . Learn more about the community review of the Economic Impact Report. ​ ​ TALKING POINTS Here are just a few of the things we're worried about. Real estate professionals and appraisers tell us that property values will drop in the surrounding community by 5 - 20%, resulting in 10's of thousands of dollars lost in home equity for each home and adding up to 10's of millions of dollars lost across the total number of homes impacted. Well owners got shafted in the Final EIR. The report concluded impacts won't be significant, but serious deficiencies in the analysis were identified by expert rev iewers and the supplemental domestic well monitoring program is little more than a band-aid. The County's Economic Impact Repo rt didn't evaluate the Mine's e ffect on our tourism industry. Just a 5% -10% drop in tourism employment could completely offset the number of jobs added by the Mine. Rise Gold's biological assessment report for the Brunswick site did not record any observation of deer. ​ But a local homeowner's trail cam video tells a completely different story. ​ “In my opinion, the reopening of the Idaho-Maryland Mine will have an immediate, long-term, detrimental effect on real estate values in Western Nevada County.” Charlie Brock, Nevada Count y Realtor for 54 years. Listen to Charlie's talk about the Economic Impact Report's "Big Miss". Articles & Opinions The County should deny the Idaho-Maryland Mine and should not certify the Final EIR The County's Final Environmental and Economic Impact Reports have been published. On May 11, 2023, the Planning Commission voted... David Briceno: Negative aspects of proposed mine considered "Putting gold back into “Gold Country” seems favorably nostalgic, but has unforeseen far-reaching repercussions. Is the town prepared to... Peter Burnes: Enough gold for 600 years "The World Gold Council says there is about 208,874 metric tonnes of gold already above ground, [largely] sitting in vaults, doing... John Vaughan, The mine: It’s not about economics, it’s about risk This opinion piece was originally published in The Union. April 19. 2023 Since the beginning of 2022, like many other local people, I’ve... Jim Steinmann: Mine jobs – Harsh, few, and not for locals Rise Gold is touting jobs, jobs, jobs. But reality is not all it's cracked up to be. All this hoopla for 132 local jobs? 12 hour shifts?... Ray Bryars: Economic Impact Report This local resident shares what he learned about the concerns shared when community experts reviewed the Economic Impact Report for the... Jeff Kane: Mine's economic report shows County's lack of due diligence Writing for the Concerned Citizens Roundtable, Jeff Kane reveals several weaknesses in the Economic Impact Study commissioned by the... Press Release: Community Weighs in on Mine’s Economic Report For Immediate Release: December 23, 2022 Contacts: Traci Sheehan Community Environmental Advocates Foundation traci@cea-nc.org Community... Questionable Economic Return A powerhouse panel of community experts reviewed the conclusions of Nevada County's Economic Impact Report in a December 2022 MineWatch... Learn About the County's Economic Impact Report In November 2022, the County published an an Economic Impact Report on the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine. There are good reasons to take a... Press Release: CEA Foundation Urges Caution Interpreting Mine’s Economic Impact Report For Immediate Release: December 16, 2022 Contacts: Traci Sheehan Community Environmental Advocates Foundation traci@cea-nc.org CEA... CEA Foundation: Economic Impact Report Questions CEA Foundation submitted comments and questions about the County's Economic Impact Report for the proposed Idaho-Maryland Mine project in... Paul Schwartz: Mine’s unintended consequences not mentioned Retired capital planner Paul Schwartz sees several gaps in the Independent Economic Impact Study commissioned by the County. This opinion... Terry Lamphier: Mine our green, not our gold This "alternative use" proposal would use the existing mine tunnels as an emergency water source and reflects on the complex geology that... Terry McLaughlin: Still not convinced mine should reopen After a year of following mine news, this conservative Union columnist still believes the negatives overwhelm any good the mine could... ★ 312 Jobs? Not What It Seems. Look Closer. The Mine promises 312 jobs, but a prior economic study suggests 1/2 would come from out of area, and "doing nothing" would bring more jobs. Have you searched for 'economy' in our library? become a minewatcher Join our newsletter for updates and monthly meeting invitations. Subscribe