A very local affair seems to have gained some national interest as the Wall Street Journal recently picked up on the current attempts by the Emgold corporation to re-open the Idah-Maryland Gold Mine in Grass Valley. With gold prices hovering around $800 an oz, there has been renewed interest in extracting hitherto non viable gold deposits from the local area. Economically it could mean a boom for the local area with some estimating that over 400 jobs will be created, but others fear that mining operations may damage the tourism industry.