Mining claims in the Pebble deposit area
The BBNC Land Department has produced a series of maps for Pebble Watch that show mining claims in the Pebble deposit area and how they have changed over the years. Pebble Limited Partnership claims have decreased from 415.5 square miles in 2017 to 275.7 square miles in 2024.
Other developers also have claims in the area and have kept them consistent or reduced the number of claims, as as shown in these maps.
Maintaining the claims in good standing is a business objective for Northern Dynasty Minerals, as noted in its regular financial statements. The claims can be a costly expense for a company, especially if permitting and development aren’t moving forward. According to this State of Alaska fact sheet, the rental cost per acre increases based on the number of years of the lease. As this example shows, certain claims in the Pebble area go back to 1996.
