The United States Forest Service (USFS) has updated the anticipated permitting schedule for the Stibnite gold project, in central Idaho, pencilling in a final record of decision (ROD) date for March 2020, TSX-listed Midas Gold reported on Tuesday.

A draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for public comment will be published in February, followed by a final EIS and draft ROD in October next year.

Midas said that the updated schedule accommodated the review and analysis of a considerable amount of additional information requested by the USFS and six other federal, state and local agencies responsible for the permitting.

“We appreciate the thorough and thoughtful review of the Stibnite gold project by the US Forest Service and other agencies,” Midas president and CEO Stephen Quin said.

“The schedule update indicates regulatory agencies are doing their job to ensure that all the required information is fully assessed, that the best plan gets permitted and the ROD stand.”

To date, Midas has received 97 requests for additional information (RFAI) and provided the requested information to 91 RFAIs, with six in progress and scheduled to be delivered in July. 

“Even with updates to the schedule, the review process continues to move forward at a reassuring pace, in large part due to the cooperation of agencies involved in the Stibnite Joint Review Process,” Midas Gold Idaho CEO Laurel Sayer said, adding that the project has the potential to bring hundreds of well-paying jobs to rural Idaho.

In 2014, a prefeasibility study demonstrated potential for a large-scale, long-life, low-cost openpit gold mine. Midas filed plan of restoration and operations in September 2016, which has launched the formal permitting process for mine development. Stibnite has the potential to produce more than 300 000 oz/y of gold at competitive operating costs, and with added exploration upside.

Midas touts Stibnite as “one of North America’s premier development stories” and in May, Barrick increased its position in Midas to 19.9% to gain access to the Stibnite gold project.