07:14 AM EDT, 06/11/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Liberty Gold ( LGDTF ) on Tuesday said it received final approval from the U.S. Forest Service for an amendment to its exploration plan of operations at the Black Pine oxide gold project in Idaho, allowing exploration activities on USFS lands where the company holds mineral title but was not previously permitted to drill.

The permit amendment expands the current area for permitted exploration by 51% to 37.3 square kilometers. This will allow Liberty Gold ( LGDTF ) to explore seven new target areas where the prospective and permissive gold host-rock carbonate sequence is known to occur at shallow depth beneath sandstone cover rock.

The amended plan of operations also directs the Bureau of Land Management to start the process of issuing a Hardrock Prospector Permit over contiguous, highly prospective areas. The permit would open a further 7.1 square kilometers to approved exploration activities.

The company has staked 46 unpainted mining claims in the southwest of the project area, totaling 3.3 square kilometers. These claims are contiguous with the existing project area. The newly acquired ground expands the total project area to 69.3 square kilometers.

In addition, Liberty Gold ( LGDTF ) said it appointed Matthew Zietlow as its director of regulatory affairs and sustainability to advance mine permitting at Black Pine with federal and state agencies. The company aims to submit the mine plan of operations to regulatory agencies by the fourth quarter.

Liberty Gold's ( LGDTF ) share price lost 2.9% to $0.33 at close on Monday.