The US Forest Service (an arm of the US Department of Agriculture) has approved key permits, ahead of schedule, for mines that will begin operating in the near future:
Ucore Rare Metals Inc is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted a request for priority permitting of the Company’s Bokan Mountain rare earth project in Southeast Alaska. The Department has approved exploration permitting in inventoried roadless areas of the Tongass National Forest proximal to Bokan. The permitting approvals will allow the Bokan project to proceed significantly faster than previously anticipated, reducing project development time by a year or more.
The special approvals were granted as a result of proactive measures undertaken by USDA Under Secretary Harris Sherman, and underscore the interpretation of Bokan as a federally controlled area subject to priority mineral development. In a statement issued on August 1, U.S. Forest Service Alaska Regional Forester, Beth Pendleton, announced the permitting approvals will allow Ucore to proceed with helicopter supported exploration in the roadless areas adjacent to the Bokan resource, effective immediately.
Excellent news for the Alaskan economy, where the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 7.9%, and as high as 23% in certain desolate parts of the state. The mine will be active in the next few years, it is expected to produce rare earths and potentially high grade uranium.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) offered some reserved praise for the expedited permitting process, though she also noted there were several similar projects in Alaska still navigating through the regulatory nightmare. We have written about such projects here (and here).
You can read more about the project here.
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