Mineral Exploration

Doyon, Limited’s second President, Tim Wallis at a Conveyance Ceremony in 1980.

HISTORY

Doyon is the largest private landowner in Alaska managing 12.5 million acres of surface and subsurface ownership across Interior Alaska. Our region has the longest border with Canada, borders six other Alaska Native Corporation regions, has the longest rivers, and the largest number of roads. Due to the size of the region, there are ongoing projects regularly occurring in the region from research, to local use, to analysis, to mineral exploration.

Doyon regularly participates in mineral exploration programs and has done so since 1974. Doyon closely monitors all exploration programs and engages surface owners in surface use agreements when village corporation lands are included in project areas.

When ANCSA was passed, there were three primary types of land selections.  The first category is village corporation selections made within a 25 township withdrawal area around each village. Village corporations received first dibs on selections. The second type was the mandatory land Doyon was required to take adjacent to the village corporation lands also in 25 township withdrawals. The third type of land is outside of the withdrawal area, sometimes called deficiency selections. These lands were remote from the closest communities. Doyon’s leadership in the early days utilized a variety of resources to identify lands that had values for timber, minerals, and oil and gas.  The idea was if Doyon made good selections it would help promote local opportunities for training and employment for shareholders and business opportunities for village corporations.

East Wiseman

TINTINA GOLD BELT

Because the Doyon region is located in a well-known geologic fault (Tintina Fault), much of the third type of lands were chosen for mineral potential. These lands are the focus of much of the mineral exploration projects in the region. A majority of the deficiency lands Doyon selected are located in the Fortymile district, in the eastern part of our region near the hub community of Tok.

ACTIVE MINERAL EXPLORATION:

• Northway, Eagle, & Goodpaster Mining Projects in Third Year

Currently, there are several active mineral exploration projects in the Fortymile region including at Seventymile (near Eagle), Northway, and in the Goodpaster District (near the Pogo mine). The focus of the projects are gold, as well as copper and some other metals at Northway. The projects are in their third year of exploration. The projects have provided local seasonal employment for shareholders for a variety of tasks including drilling help and camp support. Local stores are also providing fuel and other services. Contributions from the mineral exploration companies supported culture camps and also funded the first ANSEP middle school academy for the Doyon region for rural youth. Northway Natives, Inc. has a surface use agreement for the project at Northway and is supporting local employment.

Eastern Alaska Doyon Mineral Resource Area

Technology has advanced tremendously allowing very non-invasive geological testing utilizing such equipment as drones to help find paths and locations that least impact the ground such as limiting tree cutting. Ground Truth Trekking is a leader in ground breaking exploration technology and local training & hire.

Due to the remoteness of some of the properties, helicopters are often used to gain access for additional geologic sampling. This is a site visit around 2012 in the Fortymile region.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The Lands & Natural Resources Department and project partners provide regular updates to nearby communities. We continue to be excited about promoting local hire, training, community contributions, and potential economic development to sustain our communities for the long term. We monitor projects under the utmost environmental standards and best management practices.

Doyon shareholders Patrick & Colton cutting line for mineral exploration rigs.

Geologist staff at the Seventymile location near Eagle on the Doyon owned airport at Alder Creek

A shareholder works on testing dirt at the Goodpaster District project.

For any additional questions you may have on mineral exploration in the Fortymile region, please do not hesitate to contact the Lands & Natural Resources Department at 907-459-2030 or lands@doyon.com.

CONTACT US

Lands and Natural Resource Department
Jamie Marunde, VP of Lands
907-459-2030
lands@doyon.com