New Amalga gold mine approved for faster federal permitting process, but how fast remains unclear

Jasz Garrett
5 hours ago
4 min read

The unapproved project has no official timeline and is awaiting a permitting schedule

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

The New Amalga Gold Project was authorized to undergo an expedited federal permitting process last week, but officials say that doesn’t mean the project can skip any regulatory steps or is more likely to get approval.

The gold mine is proposed near Herbert Glacier by Grand Portage Resources Ltd., a Canadian mining company. The U.S. Forest Service will serve as the lead federal permitting agency for the Amalga project, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies are expected to help establish the mine’s regulatory and permitting timeline.

The expedited process commonly referred to as FAST-41 was established in 2015 by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, with the language in Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. It’s meant to improve transparency, coordination and efficiency in the federal environmental review and authorization process for infrastructure projects nationwide, according to the council’s website.

Grand Portage’s preliminary economic assessment, released in April, provides a conceptual timeline for the New Amalga Gold Project. The actual permitting timetable will be set with federal agencies through FAST-41, according to a company news release issued Tuesday.

“Our next technical milestone is a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS). Tribal consultation is a government-to-government process led by the federal agencies and NEPA includes formal public comment periods,” Grand Portage states in the release. “We fully support the process and remain committed to engaging Tribes and the wider community throughout the life of the project, which has the potential to bring year-round jobs and economic activity while building on Juneau’s mining legacy.”

The mine is expected to create 277 jobs and a pre-tax net present value of nearly $1 billion during an initial seven-year production cycle, according to a Grand Portage spokesperson. The preliminary estimate projects the mine has about a million ounces of gold.

The State of Alaska signed a memorandum of understanding with the permitting council in August 2025 with the goal of “streamlining the permitting process for critical infrastructure projects across Alaska.” Since then, five mining projects in Alaska have been accepted for the faster permitting process.

“I am excited to welcome the New Amalga Gold Project to FAST-41 coverage as the 61st mining and mineral processing project listed on the Permitting Dashboard under President Trump’s leadership,” said Emily Domenech, the permitting council’s executive director, in a prepared statement.

However, being a part of the program does not mean the project will be approved, according to the permitting website.

“It is important to note that a project’s inclusion on the Permitting Dashboard does not imply Federal endorsement of or support for the project or create a presumption that a covered project will be approved, favorably reviewed by any agency, or receive Federal funding,” the website states.

The council also has not posted a permitting schedule for Amalga yet, so it’s unknown just how fast the program will speed up the environmental review process.

President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase American mineral production states such projects should be considered as transparency projects on the permitting dashboard established under FAST-41.

The executive order specifies within 15 days of receiving the submission, selected projects should be published and schedules established for expedited review. Coverage under the program originally focused on transportation infrastructure until Trump’s first presidential administration in 2021.

In June, the mining company announced it intended to formally initiate NEPA in early 2027 and that the project seeks to obtain all authorizations by mid-2029, with an initial production target of 2031. That timeline anticipates a permitting process of about two years.

The June release states Grand Portage will work concurrently with state permitting and consultation with Alaska Native tribal governments.

In a prepared statement on the FAST-41 authorization, Grand Portage CEO Ian Klassen said the mine’s covered project status “will deliver predictable regulatory review timelines, maintain coordination between various federal agencies having jurisdiction over different aspects of the project, enhance accountability and transparency, and ensure our project meets and exceeds the highest standards of environmental management and regulatory compliance.”

Grande Portage declined further comment on the permitting council’s news release or on the FAST-41 program and instead directed questions to the council. The council did not respond to media inquiries sent Tuesday by the Juneau Independent about the expedited process.

“FAST-41 does not change any statutory or regulatory requirement, environmental law, regulation, review process, or public involvement procedure, and does not predetermine the outcome of any federal decision-making process,” the council’s website states.

The permitting council states it can cut a project’s review time down by 18 months.

About 50 people gathered for an event last month organized by the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and Southeast Alaska Land Trust to learn more about the potential impacts of New Amalga. People who enjoy hikes and bike rides on the Herbert Glacier Trail advocated against the gold mine and its access road due to anticipated disruption of recreational activities.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.