www.AlaskaMiners.org 41 Supporting our Communities Red Dog Operations continues to operate responsibly and safely to support our employees and regional communities during the pandemic. UAF penned in its proposal for the regional funding under DOE's CORE-CM initiative. The Region 8 critical minerals assessment will involve compiling and analyzing historical geological data; collecting new data from existing samples, such as those stored at the Geological Materials Center in Anchorage, Alaska; and collecting new samples from prospective sites across the region. The UAF-led CORE-CM team says several mining and mineral exploration companies are also eager to provide samples for critical minerals evaluation under the Region 8 CORECM program. "In Phase 2, we will start characterizing these samples and assist our private sector partners in understanding how to process them economically and environmentally responsibly," UAF penned in its funding proposal. "We will also work to expand partnering opportunities throughout Oregon and Washington while adding new partners in Alaska." Building partnerships UAF's CORE-CM partnership strategy goes beyond working with state geological surveys, academia colleagues, and the mining sector. One of the primary objectives of the second phase of the Region 8 CORE-CM program is community engagement and early-career workforce development for the burgeoning critical minerals sector in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. This will involve building a strong consortium of partners across the three states and with neighboring areas to support critical minerals and materials resource development. UAF plans to develop customized plans to inform communities and Indigenous groups about CORE-CM and keep them up to date on the program's progress. An online portal is also being created where stakeholders can get updates and provide feedback on the Region 8 CORE-CM initiatives. On the workforce development front, the Region 8 CORE-CM team will work with universities, regional colleges, and vocational schools to develop curricula for a broad range of career paths associated with critical minerals exploration, mining, and processing. The Region 8 CORE-CM team also plans to develop a Technology Innovation Center (TIC) designed to integrate programs at different regional hub locations that are accessible to stakeholders in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. "The TIC will be developed around the unique challenges and opportunities within each state and include key departments focusing on: Research and Development, Industry Collaboration, Environmental Justice and Impact, Education and Outreach, and Administration," UAF wrote. UAF says the input it gathers by working closely with Indigenous groups, private sector companies, trade schools and universities, national labs, trade groups, environmental organizations, and communities will be crucial to realizing its vision of making Region 8 known for its innovative approach to being an environmentally responsible supplier of the minerals critical to America's economy, security, and clean energy future. — Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News
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