The Contango Ore Johnson Tract Critical Metals Project is the Latest to Gain FAST-41 Coverage
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (December 2, 2025) – Today, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) announces the FAST-41 coverage of the Contango Ore Johnson Tract Critical Metals project. The mining project is expected to provide a domestic source of vital minerals to include copper, zinc, gold, silver and lead.
“I am thrilled to welcome the 51st critical mineral and mining project to FAST-41,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “Listing the Contango Ore Johnson Tract Critical Metals project will continue the growth of our strategic and unique partnership with the state of Alaska, as we work together to boost American critical minerals production in support of President Trump’s national energy dominance goals.”
Located 40 miles west of Ninilchik, Alaska on the west side of Cook Inlet, the Contango Ore Johnson Tract Critical Metals project is a planned small footprint underground mining operation. Originally explored from 1982 to 1995, the project site was inactive for almost 25 years prior to 2019. The 21,000-acre property has significant exploration potential for a range of critical minerals.
“Contango Ore would like to thank the Permitting Council for including the Johnson Tract Critical Metals project to the full coverage projects list in the FAST-41 program,” says Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, Contango Ore President and CEO. “We look forward to working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, cooperating state and federal agencies, and CIRI and their stakeholders. We are committed to advancing the Johnson Tract Critical Metals Project through the permitting process with enhanced coordination, predictable timelines, improved public transparency, and accountability to ensure this project meets the highest standards of environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance. We appreciate the Council’s continued guidance and partnership, and we look forward to ongoing engagement as the Johnson Tract Critical Metals project progresses under the FAST-41 covered projects framework.”
The project is sponsored by J T Mining Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Contango Ore Inc. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead federal permitting agency. Learn more about the Contango Ore Johnson Tract Critical Metals project on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
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Last Updated: Tuesday, December 2, 2025