TSX-V: RES
VANCOUVER, April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Rare Element
Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: RES) ("Rare Element" or the "Company") is
pleased to announce that it has retained the services of a
government affairs specialist to advance project development
activities on the Bear Lodge rare-earths project, Wyoming. With the guidance of Mr. George G. Byers, the Company has initiated a
program to educate federal, state, and local government officials
and community leaders about the quality and quantity of the Bear
Lodge rare-earth resources, and about its exceptional exploration
and development potential.
Mr. Byers is a government relations and public affairs executive
with extensive experience in the natural resources industry and
public policy issues dealing with exploration, project development,
and production on US public and state trust lands. He has a
successful record of developing and directing favorable outcomes to
difficult regulatory, project development, project siting, land
use, and public affairs issues in the Western United States. His experience includes
frequent testimony and presentations to the U.S. Congress and to
state legislatures in multiple western states, including
Wyoming.
Over a 34-year career in the minerals and energy industries, Mr.
Byers worked for the US Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Land
Management, was a vice president of the coal mining affiliate of
Public Service Company of New
Mexico, and was vice president of public affairs and
communications for Santa Fe Pacific Gold for seventeen years prior
to its acquisition by Newmont Mining Company. He has also held
executive positions in the uranium industry with Rio Algom Mining
and with Cameco Corporation's US uranium production unit.
Currently, Mr. Byers is a vice president of Neutron Energy Inc., a
privately held uranium development company, and has been a
consultant to the precious metals, rare earths, copper, and uranium
industries on a variety of public and government issues.
Mr. Byers is a trustee of the Northwest Mining Association and
served as the NWMA's 2009 president, serves on the board of
directors of the Mountain States Legal Foundation and the Citizens'
Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE), and is on the Engineering
School Advisory Board of the University of
Mississippi.
"Rare Element is focused on rapidly expanding and evaluating the
Bear Lodge rare-earth resource. In parallel with this technical
program, one of our principal goals is to raise awareness among
federal, state, and local government officials and business leaders
in northeastern Wyoming of the
size and the potential of this deposit for mine development. Our
government relations initiative is being led by George Byers, who is one of the top government
affairs specialists for natural resources in the US and will
advance our goal to increase recognition and understanding of the
Bear Lodge deposit," stated Dr. Don
Ranta, President of Rare Element.
Rare Element Resources Ltd (TSX-V: RES) is a publicly traded
mineral resource company focused on exploration and development of
rare-earth elements and gold on the Bear Lodge property. Gold
exploration in the Bear Lodge Mountains has been conducted for
several decades with several companies significantly contributing
to the database and understanding. Newmont Mining Company's recent
exploration efforts as a venture partner with Rare Element were the
most comprehensive and extensive of these programs.
Rare Element's Bear Lodge property encompasses one of the
largest disseminated rare-earth occurrences in North America (M H Staatz, 1983, US Geological
Survey Professional Paper 1049D). In parallel with the gold-focused
exploration venture, Rare Element has completed an NI
43-101-compliant resource estimate and a Technical Report on the
Bear Lodge Rare-Earth Mineralization. The Company has 100% interest
in the property, is continuing with drilling and a metallurgical
testing program, and is working on a Scoping Study to accomplish a
preliminary engineering-economic assessment of the rare-earth
project.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Donald E Ranta, PhD, PGeo,
President & CEO
Donald E. Ranta, PhD, PGeo,
serves the Board of Directors of the Company as an internal,
technically Qualified Person. Technical information in this news
release has been reviewed by Dr. Ranta and has been prepared in
accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements that are set out
in National Instrument 43-101. This news release was prepared by
Company management, which takes full responsibility for content.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Rare Element Resources Ltd.