It’s the stuff of legends, the  maker of dreams.  Nothing seems to motivate adventurous men like gold and silver. And 150 years ago, in a wild untamed country, it changed everything. Almost overnight towns sprang up, wherever prospectors struck it rich. 

Eventually, the magic faded, but not completely, not everywhere. Miners, after all, produce things the rest of us need. And this is, after all, Idaho, home of the batholith, incubator of precious metals.
As the price of metals reaches historic levels, and mining activity increases across the state, we ask the question: what role should mining play in a society that now puts a premium on clean water and clean air? Outdoor Idaho goes prospecting for some answers.