"Palmer Project"

Environmental groups claimed this summer that the permitting process was rushed.

Even in exploration, a proposed mine project threatens the rivers, the report said.

There’s no projected timeline yet, but the mayor estimates the project could take up to five years.

Drillers will be back on the mountain around the clock after a year-long hiatus at a mining project near Haines and Klukwan.

Last summer, the Canadian metals company employed about 60 people, roughly half of them locals. This year, it has just one full-time and three part-time employees.

The Southeast community of Haines has the reputation of being polarized. It lived up to that reputation last week with two vastly different events about a potential metals mine.