Published on September 30, 2020
I began my life on a small dairy farm. Later my parents moved our family to five acres where we continued with a simple farm life. I love rural places. I love rural Idaho. I love the people who work the land, run the stores, restaurants and cafes, the elected officials who are true politicians – you know the ones who really care about their schools, local businesses, local healthcare, local opportunities to grow their economy – not what the polls say they should care about.
Over the thirty years of my career, I have had the opportunity to work with these people – rural Idahoans – hear their stories and see their commitment and struggles to continue to raise their families in the rural setting they created.
Rural Idaho’s economy is based on its heritage of natural resources: agriculture, timber, and mining. Rural businesses are either directly connected or provide indirect services in these areas. The people who live in rural areas choose to live there and want to continue living there and raising their families. Of course, because they live off of the land, they respect it and see the value of clean water, soil that produces a healthy product, and good clean healthy living.
This is what attracted me to work for Midas Gold Idaho and the Stibnite Gold Project. Our plan reflects rural values and so do all of the Midas Gold employees. We care deeply about the environmental cleanup and restoration that will take place at the historical Stibnite Mining District. To be able to play a part in salmon restoration is personally significant to me. I am proud that we have been transparent with our plans for the Stibnite Gold Project and been willing to have hard discussions with community members about the project, so we can make improvements. Our problems and differences will never be solved by lawsuits. I believe sitting down and working together is the Idaho way.
Of course, the economic benefits the Stibnite Gold Project will provide to rural Idaho is my favorite component of the Project. We have the opportunity to help rural cities and schools grow. We can provide jobs that would give children an opportunity to stay in rural Idaho once they graduate. This is what keeps me and our team working hard to move the Stibnite Gold Project forward, having the hard discussions, looking for more opportunities to make the Project better and building a stronger economy for rural Idaho.
