Blende Silver Corp. (TSX.V: BAG) (OTC: BAGGF) announced that the Yukon Department of Energy, Mines and Resources has granted the company a Class 3 Quartz Mining Land Use Approval for its 100%-owned Blende Silver-Zinc-Lead Project in north-central Yukon. The approval, effective July 13, 2026, and valid through July 12, 2031, provides a five-year permitting window for the company to conduct advanced exploration across all 260 quartz claims comprising the project.
The Class 3 approval is the final major permit required for Blende Silver to execute its planned multi-year exploration programs. Key highlights include diamond drilling approval across the project area, an operating season from February 1 to September 15 annually, camp facilities for up to 50 persons supporting up to 11,300 person days of work, a permitted airstrip for enhanced air access, upgrading of 5 km of existing access and construction of 2 km of new road, winter access via the Wind River Winter Road, and on-site fuel storage for sustained operations.
Andrew H. Rees, President and CEO of Blende Silver, stated: “This approval is a major de-risking milestone for Blende Silver. With a five-year Class 3 permit in hand covering the entire claim package, the Company now has the regulatory certainty to plan and execute sustained, multi-season drill programs at what is the largest carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead deposit in Yukon. The permitted airstrip and camp infrastructure will materially improve the efficiency and cost profile of our field operations. Combined with the district-scale targeting work currently underway with Ronacher McKenzie Geoscience, Blende is now positioned to advance aggressively toward resource growth.”
The company acknowledged the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, on whose traditional territory the Blende Project is located, and committed to responsible exploration, progressive reclamation, and full compliance with all conditions of the approval, including wildlife, heritage, and environmental protection measures.
The Blende Project hosts the largest carbonate-hosted silver-zinc-lead deposit in the Yukon, as documented by M. Robinson and C.I. Godwin in Economic Geology 1995. A mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, using a 1.5% ZnEq cutoff, was disclosed in the company’s news release dated May 20, 2021. The estimate was prepared by Sue Bird, P.Eng., of Moose Mountain Technical Services, an independent Qualified Person. The mineral resource figures are reproduced from that disclosure and have not been updated. The estimate is based on metal prices of silver at US$26 per ounce, zinc at US$1.30 per pound, and lead at US$1.00 per pound, which may not reflect current market conditions.
Historical exploration defined the East and West Zones, two primary mineralized zones located approximately two kilometers apart. With the Class 3 approval, the company intends to plan and advance exploration programs across the project over the coming seasons, subject to conditions and regulatory requirements.
The Blende property lies within the Keno Hill silver district, one of Canada’s highest-grade historic silver producing districts, currently being advanced by Hecla Mining Company. The property has undergone more than $9.2 million in past exploration, including 25,195 meters of drilling in 132 drill holes. The company is a Vancouver-based junior resource company focused on silver-zinc-lead exploration and development at its flagship Blende Project, which covers 5,345 hectares and is winter road accessible, approximately 63 km northeast of Keno Hill, Yukon.
