07:23 AM EDT, 04/06/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Liberty Gold ( LGDTF ) on Friday said that the United States Forest Service (USFS) published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the company's Black Pine Oxide Gold Project located in southeastern Idaho.

"The approval and publication of an NOI is the key permitting milestone that initiates the federal environmental review process for major projects under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA")," said the company.

The company said that the EIS process includes public scoping, technical studies and environmental analysis conducted by the lead federal agency in coordination with federal and state cooperating agencies.

The company stated that the process will progress through preparation and publication of a draft EIS, followed by a public review period, and the issuance of a Final EIS, which together with the Mine Plan of Operations, deemed administratively complete in November 2025, will form the basis for a federal Record of Decision.

It further noted that, in parallel with permitting, the company continues to advance Black Pine through feasibility-level engineering, ongoing environmental baseline programs, and supporting technical workstreams. The company added that these activities are designed to support the feasibility study, targeted for release in the fourth quarter of 2026, while advancing Black Pine toward development.

"With the publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, Black Pine has entered the formal NEPA review phase," said Jon Gilligan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Gold ( LGDTF ). "This milestone reflects the completion of the pre-NEPA technical and baseline workstreams and positions the project to advance through a coordinated environmental review process. Importantly, as a FAST-41 Covered Project, a publicly disclosed federal and state permitting schedule is now in place, providing transparency, accountability, and a clear path forward. We are excited to be working collaboratively with all the agencies involved to move Black Pine efficiently, effectively and respectfully through the permitting process."

Shares in LGD were down 4.1% last Thursday, ahead of the Easter holiday weekend.