Advancement Of Black Pine Gold Project With The Draft Mine Plan Of Operations Submission

VANCOUVER - Liberty Gold Corp. reported two major milestones for its flagship Black Pine Oxide Gold Project in southern Idaho. Firstly, the formal submission of the draft Black Pine Mine Plan of Operations (MPO) to the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL); and secondly, the successful execution of an interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Liberty Gold, USFS, BLM, the Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources (OEMR), the IDEQ, and the IDL, to facilitate coordination of the entire mine permitting process for Black Pine. The draft MPO is based on the recently published Preliminary Feasibility Study with a general site layout.

Liberty Gold has worked closely with regulatory authorities, stakeholders, and the local community to ensure the draft MPO adheres to the highest environmental and operational standards and anticipates continued engagement with stakeholders to address feedback and advance the project through the permitting and approval process. The draft MPO submission is the precursor leading to initiation of the federal permitting process under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), which will include the completion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The EIS process will be co-led by the USFS and the BLM and will include a detailed review of the MPO, public scoping meetings, analysis of extensive baseline studies, and an assessment of potential environmental and socioeconomic effects with proposed mitigations. Cooperating regulatory agencies, including OEMR, IDEQ, IDL and other federal and state entities, will work closely with the USFS and BLM on the MPO review and the resulting EIS process. A firm has been retained as the independent third-party EIS contractor and will work under the direction of the USFS to prepare the Black Pine EIS and related documentation. This action represents a major step advancing Black Pine towards a construction decision.

Execution of the interagency Memorandum of Understanding formalizes a collaborative partnership between Liberty Gold, and various cooperating agencies for completion of the EIS. The MOU establishes a clear roadmap with timelines for the NEPA permitting process and defines the roles, responsibilities, and objectives of all parties to ensure efficient project progression while upholding federal environmental standards, assuring stakeholder engagement, including comprehensive reclamation and closure planning and all related permitting requirements.

Jon Gilligan, President and Chief Operating Officer, said, “Submission of the draft Mine Plan of Operations and completion of the interagency MOU formalizing a strong, collaborative partnership with federal and state cooperating agencies, reflects our deep commitment to responsible resource development, project transparency and environmental stewardship.

“We are establishing a strong foundation for advancing Black Pine through the permitting process to a potential construction decision within 3 years, ensuring the project meets the highest environmental and operating standards. We look forward to working closely with the regulatory agencies and community stakeholders over the coming period to complete the Environmental Impact Statement and concurrently build the team that will deliver on Black Pine’s full potential.  

We also would like to commend Idaho Governor Brad Little for his Executive Order 2025-02, the Strategic Permitting, Efficiency, and Economic Development (SPEED) Act, which will improve coordination among state agencies, reduce permitting delays, and drive forward projects that promote energy independence, national security, and economic growth. Liberty Gold looks forward to our Black Pine Mine being an active part of the SPEED Act process in the coming months.”