Ucore Rare Metals Inc. announced on Wednesday 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.
The US Forest Service is an operating arm of the USDA. In the Forest Service Land Plan Update filed in 2008, the Bokan area was identified as a “Mineral Prescription”. The status acknowledges the region’s inordinate mineral content and confers resource development as a priority to alternative permitting applications in the area.
“I appreciate the U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region’s attention to the needs of mining exploration and the important role mining plays in Southeast Alaska’s economy,” commented Alaskan Senator Mark Begich. “The action by the Forest Service is critical to moving these projects forward and helping to create some badly needed jobs in the region. In particular, I look forward to learning more about the Bokan project firsthand during my visit later this week.”
“I welcome the Forest Service’s efforts to find a compromise that allows responsible development to proceed,” commented Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski. “The ability to develop our domestic supplies of critical minerals is important both to our national security and to the economy of Alaska.”
“This initiative is a tremendous lift for expedited development at Bokan,” said Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore. “The Bokan heavy rare earth resource is now recognized as a unique American asset of critical importance to domestic technology, defense and alternative energy sectors. Under Secretary Sherman has shown great vision in asserting that projects like Bokan require federal intervention to advance as quickly as possible, and we’re very grateful for this.
We’re also particularly thankful to Alaska Senator’s Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich for their strong support of the project and direct intervention in obtaining these approvals. This priority permitting has resulted from the combined efforts of the Alaska Senatorial delegation, the USDA and the local USFS; a remarkable show of support for the expedited development at Bokan from both federal and state jurisdictions.”
