Northern Dynasty: Federal permitting process for Alaska’s Pebble Project passes another key milestone Lead federal regulator US Army Corps of Engineers announces preferred development alternative

Northern Dynasty: Federal permitting process for Alaska’s Pebble Project passes another key milestone

Lead federal regulator US Army Corps of Engineers announces preferred development alternative

May 25, 2020 Vancouver – Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; NYSE American: NAK) ("Northern

Dynasty" or the "Company") reports the US Army Corps of Engineers ( “USACE”), the lead federal regulator

for the Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) permitting process for the Pebble Project, has announced a

preferred development alternative for the proposed copper -gold-molybdenum-silver mine in southwest

Alaska.

During a media availability session on May 22, 2020, Alaska District Regulatory Division Chief David Hobbie

confirmed the USACE has selected the ‘least environmentally damaging practicable alternative’ or LEDPA for

the proposed Pebble mine. It includes an all land-based transportation route to connect the proposed mine

site to a port site on Cook Inlet via an ~85 -mile road north of Lake Iliamna, thereby avoiding the need for

ferry transport across the lake.

Northern Dynasty President & CEO Ron Thiessen said the ‘northern transportation corridor’ – otherwise

known and fully evaluated in the Peb ble EIS as ‘Alternative 3’ – has been extensively studied by the

Company’s 100% -owned US -based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership (the ”Pebble Partnership”), and

presents several compelling benefits over the lake ferry options.

“From a cost perspective, the various transportation alternatives evaluated as part of the Pebble EIS over the

past several years are similar,” he said. “We had thought the slightly smaller wetlands footprint associated

with the lake ferry alternatives might make them preferable to the USACE and other regulatory agencies, but

they clearly have judged an all land-based route to be superior from an environmental perspective.

“It’s a decision we welcome and accept. There are clear operational benefits associated with a single mode

transportation system versus multi -mode, and we’re confident the northern corridor can be built and

operated safely in partnership with local villages and landowners.”

Thiessen said the Pebble Partnership intends to work with each of the landowners along t he northern

corridor, and believes it will secure the authorizations needed to build and operate the transportation

system.

Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier confirmed the US Army Corps of Engineers contacted Pebble several

weeks ago to request that it formally modify its Project Description to reflect the ‘northern transportation

corridor.’ He said the driving force behind the USACE’s route change was likely concerns ab out lake ferry

operations expressed by cooperating agencies (including the US Environmental Protection Agency and US

Fish & Wildlife Service) and members of the public.

“On the media call last Friday, (USACE Alaska District Regulatory Division Chief) Dave Hobbie specifically made

the point that the impetus for this change was not Pebble, but input received from cooperating agencies and

members of the public who have actively participated in the EIS process,” he said. “He went on to call the

change a ‘success story,’ and an example of the EIS process working as it should.”

Collier said the Pebble Partnership was focused entirely on advancing transportation alternatives associated

with lake ferry operations until contacted by the USACE several weeks ago. Notwithstanding the recent

change, he said Pebble has studied the ‘northern transportation corridor’ for more than a dozen years, and

expects no planning or permitting delays associated with its selection as the LEDPA.

The northern transportation corridor has the added benefit of including a pipeline to transport copper -gold

and molybdenum concentrates from the mine site to the port site, thereby reducing truck traffic in the region

by about half.

Collier said the announcement of a preferred development alternative for Pebble means a final permitting

decision is one step closer.

“From the beginning, we have been clear that developing an Environmental Impact Statement for a project

like Pebble is an iterative process with no predetermined outcomes ,” he said. “The USACE’s selection of the

‘northern transportation corridor’ as LEDPA clearly shows this to be the case, and demonstrates the

permitting process working as designed to incorporate the views of expert regulatory agencies and members

of the public to identify the best development option.”

About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. No rthern

Dynasty's principal asset, owned through its wholly owned Alaska -based U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited

Partnership (“PLP”), is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including

the Pebble deposit. PLP is th e proponent of the Pebble Project, an initiative to develop one of the world's most

important mineral resources.

For further details on Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Project, please visit the Company's website at

www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-

800-667-2114. Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and US public filings at www.sec.gov.

Ronald W. Thiessen

President & CEO

US Media Contact:

Dan Gagnier

Gagnier Communications

(646) 569-5897

Forward Looking Information and other Cautionary Factors

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than

statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company

expects are forward -looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in its forward -looking

statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of the ultimate

size, quality or commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, that the Pebble Project will secure all required government pe rmits, or

of the Company's future performance.

Assumptions used by NDM to develop forward-looking statements include the assumptions that (i) the Pebble Project will obtain all

required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) studies for the develo pment

of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, and (iv) NDM

will be able to secure the financing required to develop the Pebble Project. The likelihood of future mining at the Pebble Project is

subject to a large number of risks and will require achievement of a number of technical, economic and legal objectives, including (i)

obtaining necessary mining and construction permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, in cluding without delay due to

third party opposition or changes in government policies, (ii) the completion of feasibility studies demonstrating the Pebble Project

mineral reserves that can be economically mined, (iii) completion of all necessary engineerin g for mining and processing facilities,

and (iv) receipt by NDM of significant additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine construction, wh ich

financing may not be available to NDM on acceptable terms or on any terms at all. The C ompany is also subject to the specific risks

inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions, as well as risks relating to the uncertainties with

respect to the effects of COVID-19.

The National Environment Policy Act EI S process requires a comprehensive “alternatives assessment” be undertaken to consider a

broad range of development alternatives, the final project design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project and associa ted

infrastructure may vary significantly from that currently being advanced. As a result, the Company will continue to consider various

development options and no final project design has been selected at this time.

For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange

Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.