Editing Madera County, California (section)

====Tungsten====
In the mid-20th century, Madera County's [[Ecology of the Sierra Nevada#Alpine Zone|High Sierra]] regions became prominent for their significant [[tungsten]] deposits, leading to extensive mining activities near [[Mammoth Lakes, California|Mammoth Lakes]], [[Central Camp, California|Central Camp]], and [[Fish Camp, California|Fish Camp]]. One notable example, the Strawberry Tungsten Mine, was valued at $1 million in 1955 and had the capacity to process 310 metric tons of ore daily by 1981.<ref>{{cite news |title=Plans Told To Reopen Local Mine |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MT19650416.2.3&srpos=1&e=------196-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22strawberry+tungsten+mine%22------- |newspaper=Madera Tribune |volume=73 |number=233 |date=April 16, 1965 |access-date=}}</ref>

However, tungsten mining in the Sierra Nevada faced challenges due to harsh winter conditions and intense competition from low-cost tungsten imports from China. These challenges were part of a broader decline in the U.S. starting in the 1980s, caused by falling market prices and economic issues, resulting in a major decrease in tungsten mining nationwide. As a result, tungsten mining in Madera County and the rest of the Sierra Nevada has stopped entirely.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carroll |first1=Thomas R. |last2=Schmeda |first2=German |last3=Karl |first3=Nick A |last4=Burger |first4=Meredith H. |last5=Long |first5=Keith R |last6=Reyes |first6=Tyler A |title=Tungsten Deposits in the United States |year=2020 |publisher=USGS |url=https://www.usgs.gov/data/tungsten-deposits-united-states |doi=10.5066/P9XA8MJ4 |access-date=January 28, 2024}}</ref>