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Integra Resources Establishes Partnership with Shoshone-Paiute Tribes for DeLamar Gold Project Development

Integra Resources signs historic relationship agreement with Shoshone-Paiute Tribes for DeLamar gold project, providing regulatory certainty and long-term value.

  • Integra Resources has entered into an unprecedented Relationship Agreement with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes for the DeLamar gold and silver mining project, marking the first agreement of its kind in the Lower 48 States that recognizes tribal sovereignty on federally managed lands.
  • The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration covering indigenous recognition, economic empowerment, cultural and environmental protection, consensus-based regulatory collaboration, and community investment monitoring throughout the entire mine life.
  • The partnership provides long-term regulatory predictability and risk mitigation for the DeLamar Project, which has received approximately US$140 million in investment since Integra's 2017 acquisition and submitted its Mine Plan of Operations to the Bureau of Land Management in March 2025.
  • Political support from Idaho's congressional delegation, including Representatives and Senators, reinforces the strategic importance of the project for domestic mineral supply chain security and high-wage job creation in rural Idaho communities.
  • The agreement positions Integra as an industry leader in responsible mining practices and stakeholder engagement, potentially creating a template for future mining developments on traditional tribal territories across the United States.

Integra Resources is a growing precious metals producer focused on the Great Basin region of the Western United States. The company operates the Florida Canyon Mine in Nevada while advancing two flagship development projects: the DeLamar Project in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project in western Nevada. Integra creates value through operational excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and strategic mergers and acquisitions while maintaining high environmental, social, and governance standards.

The company's announcement of a historic Relationship Agreement with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes represents a significant milestone in mining industry stakeholder relations and provides important implications for investors evaluating long-term project viability and regulatory risk management.

Unprecedented Industry Partnership Framework

The Relationship Agreement between Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes establishes what both parties describe as the first agreement of its kind in the Lower 48 States. The partnership recognizes tribal sovereignty while advancing sustainable economic development on federally managed lands, addressing a longstanding gap in mining industry stakeholder engagement.

Brian Mason, Chairman of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, emphasized the historic nature of the agreement:

"The Agreement is the first-of-its-kind in the Lower 48 States, and something that Tribal Nations surrounded by the mining industry have been working towards for many years."

The agreement results from five years of collaborative efforts between the parties, demonstrating Integra's commitment to long-term relationship building rather than transactional stakeholder engagement. This extended timeline suggests thorough due diligence and mutual understanding of respective interests and concerns.

Comprehensive Partnership Structure

The Relationship Agreement establishes a comprehensive partnership framework addressing five key areas that directly impact project development and operational risks through structured collaboration between indigenous communities and project developers.

First, formal acknowledgment of tribal sovereignty and traditional territorial rights provides legal and social legitimacy for project operations, creating a stable foundation that protects all parties' interests while demonstrating respect for tribal authority and historical land connections.

Second, direct tribal involvement in project economics creates aligned incentives and transforms communities into genuine stakeholders, generating shared value creation opportunities that foster collaboration where success becomes mutually beneficial.

Third, collaborative approaches to managing sensitive environmental and cultural sites reduce regulatory compliance risks and potential community opposition by incorporating tribal expertise in environmental stewardship to develop more comprehensive and culturally appropriate protection strategies.

Fourth, joint engagement with regulatory authorities streamlines permitting processes and reduces approval uncertainties by presenting a unified approach that demonstrates community support and stakeholder alignment rather than competing interests.

Finally, ongoing oversight mechanisms ensure continued stakeholder alignment throughout the mine lifecycle through monitoring systems that maintain partnership responsiveness to changing circumstances, acknowledging that sustainable partnerships require continuous attention across decades of operation. This partnership structure transforms potential conflicts into collaborative opportunities by addressing all critical stakeholder concerns, creating a robust system that minimizes risks while maximizing sustainable development opportunities through genuine partnership built on mutual respect and shared benefits.

Interview with George Salamis, CEO of Integra Resources

Strategic Value & Long-Term Risk Mitigation

The partnership addresses one of the mining industry's most significant challenges: long-term social license to operate. Traditional mining development often faces sustained community opposition that can result in project delays, cost overruns, or complete project cancellation.

George Salamis, President, CEO, and Director of Integra, highlighted the strategic value:

"Through this partnership we are establishing durable and long-term predictability, while providing the foundational platform for local and regional economic opportunities to thrive."

This predictability becomes particularly valuable given the DeLamar Project's location within traditional tribal territories and the increasingly complex regulatory environment surrounding mining operations on public lands.

Political & Regulatory Support

The agreement has garnered explicit support from Idaho's congressional delegation, providing additional regulatory confidence. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01) stated:

"Today's Relationship Agreement marks a significant milestone for economic development and the responsible advancement of natural resource production in Owyhee County."

Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) emphasized the strategic importance:

"The signing of today's Relationship Agreement between Integra and the Shoshone-Paiute represents a collaborative commitment to responsibly advancing natural resource development in Idaho and supporting the creation of high-paying, quality jobs for generations to come."

This political support reduces regulatory execution risk and aligns the project with broader national security objectives related to domestic mineral supply chains.

DeLamar Project Development & Investment Overview

The DeLamar Project represents a significant asset in Integra's portfolio, comprising the historic DeLamar and adjacent Florida Mountain Deposits. The deposits were previously in production under Kinross Gold Corporation until 1998, providing historical precedent for successful operations.

Since acquiring the project in 2017, Integra has invested approximately US$140 million into resource growth, engineering, mine design, and environmental baseline work. This substantial investment demonstrates management's commitment to the asset and provides a foundation for development decision-making.

Regulatory Progress

In March 2025, Integra submitted the Mine Plan of Operations to the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM), initiating the formal permitting pathway. The submission triggers the Notice of Intent process, leading to Environmental Impact Statement preparation under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The timing of the tribal agreement announcement, following the Mine Plan submission, suggests strategic coordination to maximize regulatory approval probability and minimize permitting timeline risks.

Expansion Potential

The company indicated that similar relationship agreements are being explored with other tribal nations whose traditional territories encompass the DeLamar Project footprint. This approach suggests a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy that addresses all potentially affected parties.

Industry Leadership & Competitive Positioning

ESG Leadership

The unprecedented nature of the tribal partnership positions Integra as an industry leader in environmental, social, and governance practices. As ESG considerations increasingly influence investment decisions and regulatory approvals, this leadership position provides competitive advantages in capital markets and project development.

Chairman Mason's statement reinforces this positioning:

"This Agreement asserts our right to a seat at the table to help direct how things happen in our territory. It supports the Shoshone-Paiute to be a driver of responsible economic development in the region, providing for our people and our neighbors, and protecting our values, interests, and culture."

Template for Industry Practices

The agreement's unprecedented nature suggests potential replication across the mining industry, particularly for projects on traditional tribal territories. If successful, Integra's approach could become the industry standard, providing first-mover advantages and enhanced stakeholder relations expertise.

Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) noted the innovative nature: "This historic Agreement is a great example of the innovative collaboration we value in Idaho."

Financial & Operational Implications

Financial & Operational Implications

The partnership agreement transforms project economics through comprehensive risk reduction and strategic value creation. The collaborative framework substantially reduces regulatory risk by improving permitting probability and timeline predictability through coordinated tribal support. Social license risk is eliminated by securing genuine community partnership from the outset, while operational risk is mitigated through ongoing collaboration mechanisms that address issues before they become material problems. Reputational risk decreases through industry-leading stakeholder engagement practices that enhance ESG ratings.

Beyond risk mitigation, the partnership creates positive value through enhanced resource access within traditional territories, operational efficiency gains from local tribal knowledge, and community investment that aligns stakeholder interests with project success. Most significantly, these strong tribal partnerships create valuable stakeholder capital that may facilitate additional regional development opportunities, establishing a sustainable competitive advantage in mineral development.

For Investors

The historic Relationship Agreement between Integra Resources and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes represents a transformative approach to mining industry stakeholder engagement with significant implications for long-term shareholder value. The partnership addresses critical project development risks while creating a framework for sustainable value creation throughout the mine lifecycle.

For investors evaluating Integra Resources, several key factors emerge from this development:

  • Enhanced Project Viability: The tribal partnership substantially improves DeLamar Project development probability by addressing social license and regulatory approval risks that have historically plagued mining developments on public lands.
  • Operational Predictability: The five-year relationship building process and comprehensive agreement framework provide unusual operational predictability for a development-stage mining project, reducing execution risks and improving financial modeling confidence.
  • Industry Leadership Position: Integra's unprecedented stakeholder engagement approach positions the company as an ESG leader, potentially attracting institutional investment and improving capital market access as ESG considerations increasingly influence investment decisions.
  • Strategic Template Value: The successful implementation of this partnership model could provide Integra with competitive advantages in future project development and potential replication opportunities across the mining industry.
  • Political and Regulatory Support: Explicit congressional support for the agreement reduces regulatory execution risk and aligns the project with national strategic objectives related to domestic mineral supply chain security.

The combination of substantial historical investment (US$140 million since 2017), formal regulatory progression (Mine Plan of Operations submitted March 2025), and now comprehensive stakeholder alignment creates a compelling investment proposition for investors seeking exposure to responsible precious metals development in politically stable jurisdictions.

However, investors should remain cognizant of standard mining development risks including commodity price volatility, construction cost escalation, operational execution challenges, and the inherent uncertainties associated with bringing development-stage assets into production. The tribal partnership agreement significantly mitigates social and regulatory risks but does not eliminate fundamental mining industry challenges.

Overall, the Relationship Agreement represents a substantial positive development for Integra Resources, providing enhanced project development confidence and positioning the company as an industry leader in responsible mining practices.

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