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continue to grow. Having positioned ourselves as a go-to stock of the highest institutional quality, we believe that new gold investors will quickly appreciate the scarcity value of such attributes, and the value of that pure play on gold.
Dedicated to strong stakeholder engagement
In addition to fidelity to our shareholders, NOVAGOLD and our project partners are committed to growing strong and collaborative working relationships to preserve traditional lifestyles and support economic development for the benefit of Calista and TKC shareholders and the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region as a whole. In 2019, Donlin Gold and our Native Corporation partners held more than 200 engagement meetings with individual stakeholders and community organizations. These meetings take many forms, from one-on-one interactions to group meetings as ongoing outreach activities, meeting with tribal councils and key stakeholders in the Y-K region (including Donlin Gold attending the Calista Annual Shareholders meeting in July), providing project updates and gathering feedback from shareholders in the coastal villages of Kotlik and Kongiganak, and meeting with various Native groups interested in establishing Friendship Agreements. In October 2019, Donlin
Gold and TKC co-hosted a reception at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage, meeting with key leadership representing various parts of the U.S. and seeking partnerships with Donlin Gold for future opportunities.
The health and safety of our employees and our communities are also paramount. In 2019, the Y-K Community Backhaul projects funded by NOVAGOLD removed nearly 100,000 pounds of hazardous and electronic waste from 14 villages and Bethel on the Kuskokwim River. This program builds on significant work sponsored by Donlin Gold in 2018, including Clean Up Green Up efforts in 43 villages, collecting refuse for proper disposal in community landfills, and the initial Green Star® Waste Backhaul Project that engaged six Middle Kuskokwim villages in removing and safely disposing of almost 20 tons of hazardous waste and materials. Donlin Gold is devoted to the long-term support of the village of Crooked Creek in
solid waste management, including landfill operations near the project. Additionally, Donlin Gold is working with TKC and the Y-K Health Corporation to initiate an upgrade, as well as improve health and safety standards, of water and sewer services in Middle Kuskokwim area communities. Donlin Gold and TKC also co-sponsored a spill response training last fall, which was attended by participants from 10 TKC villages. The trainees can now take these practices home and into their communities.
Donlin Gold supports projects such as the Lower Kuskokwim School District Career & College Fair in Bethel, a hub for the region, and other career fairs throughout the Y-K region to help develop the leaders of tomorrow. Alongside Calista and TKC, Donlin Gold proudly engages with the EXCEL Alaska program that flies high school students in from remote villages to provide much-needed career and technical education, as well as funds scholarships to help local students with post-secondary education.
Time-Honored Partnerships
The Kuskokwim Calista
Corporation
Corporation
Donlin Gold
SINCE 1995
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