Muncy Creek Mineral Exploration Project Completes Federal Permitting
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (April 13, 2026) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the latest mining project to complete federal permitting— the Muncy Creek Mineral Exploration project in Nevada. This project marks the 16th FAST-41 mining project to complete permitting during the Trump Administration.
“After years in the federal permitting process, this project finished permitting within a year of posting to the FAST-41 Transparency Dashboard,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “Our coordinated process makes a real difference moving projects forward. Congratulations to the U.S. Forest Service and Falcon Copper for this collaborative effort to advance America’s mining industry and develop our domestic mineral resources.”
The Muncy Creek Exploration Plan of Operations was proposed by project sponsor Falcon Copper as a part of their Schell Creek exploration project. The Muncy Creek plan proposes mineral exploration for copper, zinc, molybdenum, and silver in the Ely Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in White Pine County Nevada. Exploration activities are proposed to occur in phases and include construction of up to 15 drill pads, exploration drilling, 2.3 miles of road construction, and road maintenance. Phase I includes the construction of six drill sites with nine additional drill sites proposed over additional phases.
“The FAST-41 process made a meaningful difference for the Muncy Creek project,” said Travis Naugle, Executive Chairman of Falcon Copper Corp. “The coordination and transparency it provided — combined with the hard work and professionalism of the permitting agencies — gave our team the clarity and confidence to move efficiently through the NEPA process. This is what thoughtful, responsible mineral development looks like, and we’re grateful to the Permitting Council and our agency partners for their dedication to getting it right.”
Added to FAST-41 in response to the Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, this project received Transparency Dashboard status in August 2025. Transparency status gave the Muncy Creek Mineral Exploration project access to many of the unique benefits of FAST-41, including a dedicated Permitting Council project advisor, the development of a comprehensive permitting timetable, and active engagement and coordination across federal permitting agencies.
The U.S. Forest Service served as the lead federal permitting agency for this project. Learn more about the Muncy Creek Mineral Exploration 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: Monday, April 13, 2026