From Superfund to ‘Superfun’: A mining valley regains its former luster 1112TB_Reinvent5.wav 3:36 feature 11/16/07 Tom Banse/CD Series Lead: Less than ten years ago, North Idaho’s Silver Valley was one of the poorest places in the state and the region. But the self-proclaimed “Silver Capital of the World” is regaining some of its former luster. The historic mining towns of Wallace and Kellogg, Idaho are transforming into resort or recreation destinations. To add icing to the cake, the old mining industry is coming back from the dead. Correspondent Tom Banse reports from Kellogg, in the final installment of our weeklong series of Northwest communities re-inventing themselves. (3:36... soq) BACKANNOUNCE: We’d like to know what you think of our series on economic development in the rural Northwest. Email us at [insert newsroom email]. # # # Neal Scholey makes a seductive pitch. You could be in on the groundfloor at the next northern Rockies boomtown. Scholey: “Imagine if you had the opportunity to purchase – we’re talking about the golf community here -- at a golf community in Vail or Park City or Sun Valley fifteen years ago. That’s it basically in a nutshell.” Sound: [construction equipment] Sfx underneath in background Scholey is the real estate sales manager for Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho. Behind him, bulldozers sculpt golf fairways and cul-de-sacs. A 277-unit condo project sold out in a matter of days at the ski hill base village. The twist here is that developers had to overcome a legacy of mining pollution. TB: “This is a Superfund site, isn’t it?” Scholey: “Yep. Or ‘superfun’ as we like to say!” Much of the Silver Valley was declared a Superfund site in 1983 because of lead contamination and other heavy metal residues. The area is still on the list. But Scholey says the remaining work has little impact on skiers, golfers, bikers, and hikers. Scholey: “Over $200 million has been invested in the cleanup of the Silver Valley here. It’s one of the most successful in Superfund history. So that’s very comforting to folks that have that question.” People inside and outside his company credit the resort owners for being the “catalyst” of the Silver Valley’s economic revival. Long-time Kellogg Mayor Mac Pooler is amazed how things are turning out given how deep in the dumps the valley was after its mainstay of mining went kaput. Mac Pooler: “The cards were stacked against us: losing the mines, the Superfund. I think a lot of areas would’ve thrown their hands up and said ‘Geez.’ We had a little bitty ski hill. That’s all we had.” The mayor identifies two key turning points. One was a vote by the people of Kellogg to tax themselves during the depths of the mining bust in the late 80’s. They financed the world’s longest gondola. A second turning point came in 1996 when the city sold the gondola and ski hill to the resort developer from Klamath Falls. Now, just when the reinvention as a year-round recreation destination is taking hold, the area’s historic bread-and-butter is coming back. Sound: [hoist bells ding] The legendary Sunshine Mine outside Wallace plans to resume silver production next month (Dec.). The signal bells in the hoist room toll steadily from all the preparatory lifting and lowering. This is the biggest of perhaps a half dozen mine revivals. All the result of rising metals prices says Sunshine maintenance manager Brian Higdem. Higdem: “Silver is the primary ticket here. Good silver prices and people are going back to work. We are close to a hundred people now at the mine whereas four years ago there were three.” In the Sunshine ore mill, Richard Derbyshire looks forward to proving that modern mining and an outdoor recreation economy can co-exist. The expensive new condos aren’t for him, but Derbyshire says he’s glad to see a reversal in what was a long population decline. Derbyshire: “It’s looking up. It’s looking kind of scary in some ways – where are they going to get all the water, the sewer, and everything from. But it’s coming along. They’re working on it and figuring it out.” The biggest issue in the Silver Valley is becoming affordable housing for service industry and government workers. Community leaders have studied other resort destinations like Sun Valley. One lesson they draw is the need to secure land for workforce housing now while it’s still affordable. I’m Tom Banse in Kellogg, Idaho. Web extras: Photos for web-posting by Tom Banse [1112TB_Reinvent5-1.jpg] Caption: Kellogg, Idaho is booming with new condos, including Alpine Village in left foreground and Silver Mountain’s Morning Star Lodge in distance on right. [1112TB_Reinvent5-2.jpg] Caption: Construction workers scramble to finish the final phase of new condos (at left) and an indoor water park (on the right) in the Gondola Village in Kellogg. [1112TB_Reinvent5-3.jpg] Caption: Sterling Mining Co. expects to resume silver production at its historic Sunshine Mine in December. City of Kellogg: http://www.cityofkellogg.com/ Silver Mountain Resort: www.silvermt.com Audio slideshow: “All That Glitters”- Idaho Statesman: http://legacy.idahostatesman.com/media/silvermining/ # # # Copyright 2007 KUOW