This is it! The FINAL hearing on Rise Gold’s application to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine. After a long four-year run-up, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors will finally get to vote on the fate of the mine. This is the most important and final step in the decision process.
LATE BREAKING NEWS
The County is offering FREE bus/shuttle service to the hearing (see below)
Hearing hours have been extended to 7pm on Thursday night to give the public more time to comment!
You can pick up tickets to speak as early as 8am!
Help us show Supervisors this community’s fierce opposition to the mine. Let's FILL the chambers (and overflow rooms) - AND deliver the same level of outstanding comments to Supervisors as we did with Planning Commissioners last May.
This is our last chance to tell Commissioners to Just Say No to the project... AND the seriously flawed Environmental Impact Report! Only denying the mine AND not certifying the EIR will defeat it for good!
Thursday, Feb 15 is the most critical day.
→ Pick up your 'no mine' attendance sticker at the MineWatch booth.
→ Join us for a group picture during the lunch break.
Thursday, Feb 15, 2024 | 9:00am – 7:00pm (EXTENDED HOURS)
Friday, February 15, 2024 | 9:00 – 5:00pm (or until its done)
950 Maidu Ave, Nevada City, CA 95959, USA
Here’s a rough idea of how the schedule will go.
8:00 am Thursday Feb 15 – This is the earliest you can pick up a comment number if you want to speak, but you can pick up a number any time before comments are finished.
9:00 am– Most of the morning will be taken with presentations & supervisors questions. Public comment will begin after that.
Lunch break – The exact time will be decided by the Supervisor chairperson. Join us for a giant group photo shortly after they declare lunch. Be flexible if you can. Sometimes they break before noon. Sometimes after.
Afternoon to 7:00 pm / likely continuing to Friday Feb 16
Public comment continues. Note: it is possible public comment will be done by Thursday evening. If you want to comment, Thursday is your safest bet.
Once all speakers have been heard, the supervisors will discuss and take a final vote.
Spoken comments needed:
3 minute comments are encouraged on all related topics, e.g., environmental, economic, cultural, trust. If you made a public comment at last May’s Planning Commission hearing, consider refreshing it and presenting it again. Supervisors may (or may not) have heard your comments back then. And even if they did, let’s give them a refresher course.
If you would like to make a spoken comment, your best bet is to show up Thursday morning and get a number (that number is your assigned spot). 8:30am on Thursday is the earliest you can pick up a comment number if you want to speak, but you can pick up a number any time before comments are finished.
Your speaking time will likely be Thursday afternoon or early evening (which might involve a return trip for you). It is possible comments will continue to Friday morning, but we can't be certain. I depends up on how many speakers there are (and how many are actually there when their number is called). We will track speaker numbers and post them on Facebook (only) so you can keep track of when your number is likely to come up.
We recommend you practice your speech in advance to make sure it fits within 3 minutes. The County's microphone will turn off automatically when your time is up.
Know before you go:
Carpool or take the bus if you can. The County expects overflow conditions in the Rood Center parking lot. If you can, take the bus or carpool with others. Route 1 ervice is FREE. See details below.
Plan for lunch. Java Johns County Cafe in Rood Center is open for business. Or... pack your own lunch.
Join us for lunch and a group photo on Feb 15 -- We will gather everyone and share the moment with a giant group photo.
In addition to the Board Chambers, there will be overflow rooms for folks to sit inside. Outdoor seating will also available (weather allowing). Our goal is to have everyone seen and heard by the Supervisors.
Read the County's public notice about the event to learn more about the rules of engagement.
The County will be live streaming the meeting for those who can't attend in person (note that online attendance isn't counted, so if you can make it in person - it would be gratefully appreciated) https://www.youtube.com/@CountyofNevadaCA/streams
More things you can do to help make a HUGE impact:
Invite family and friends to attend the meeting.
Share social media posts about the meeting on Facebook, Instagram, or Nextdoor.
Write a letter to editor in the Union newspaper in the weeks before the hearing.
Have questions? Email mineconcerns@cea-nc.org
Why take the bus?
It's fast - check out the timetable below. 25 minutes from Tinloy Center to Rood Center.
It makes a bunch of convenient stops where you can park -- Grass Valley City Hall, Fowler Center, and Nevada City SPD to name a few.
It runs on the hour- buses leave from Tinloy Center
The Bus is FREE February 15 and 16!
Route 1 departs Tinloy Transit Center, Grass Valley, at the top of the hour starting at 7 a.m. and will arrive at the Nevada County Rood Center approximately 25 minutes later; for example, an 8 a.m. departure from Tinloy Transit Center arrives at the Nevada County Rood Center at 8:25 a.m.
