Northern Dynasty: Pebble Partnership submits ‘Request for Appeal’ to US Army Corps of Engineers

Northern Dynasty: Pebble Partnership submits ‘Request for Appeal’ to US Army Corps of Engineers

January 21, 2021 Vancouver – Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; NYSE American: NAK) ("Northern

Dynasty" or the "Company") reports that its 100%-owned, US-based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership

(the “Pebble Partnership”) has formally submitted a ‘request for appeal’ (“RFA”) to the US Army Corps of

Engineers (“USACE”) with respect to its recent issuance of a negative Record of Decision (“ROD”) for Alaska’s

Pebble Project.

The USACE published a final Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS ”) for the proposed copper -gold-

molybdenum-silver-rhenium mine in July 2020, finding that Pebble would “not have measureable effects” on

fish populations or fisheries in southwest Alaska. Despite this, the lead federal regulator published a ROD on

November 25, 2020 denying Pebble a key permit under the Clean Water Act on the grounds that its

‘compensatory mitigation plan’ (“CMP”) is non-compliant and the project is not in the ‘public interest.’

The Pebble Partnership submitted its RFA to the USACE’s Pacific Ocean Division Engineer in Hawaii this week,

in advance of the 60-day deadline following the permitting decision. The USACE has 30 days from receipt to

notify the Pebble Partnership as to whether its RFA is complete. USACE guidelines indicate the administrative

appeal process should conclude within 90 days, although it may be extended under certain circumstances.

Northern Dynasty be lieves that key aspects of the USACE’s ROD and permitting decision – including its

‘significant degradation’ finding, its ‘public interest review’ findings and its perfunctory rejection of Pebble’s

CMP – are contrary to law, unprecedented in Alaska and fun damentally unsupported by the administrative

record, including the Pebble Project EIS.

Additional details about the Pebble Partnership’s RFA submission will be released in the days and weeks

ahead.

About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern

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 blo ck of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alask a,

including the Pebble deposit, located 200 miles from Anchorage and 125 miles from Bristol Bay. PLP is the

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" under applicable law. All statements in

this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address permitting, development and production for the Pebble P roject

are forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding (i) the mine plan for the Pebble Project, (ii) the social

integration of the Pebble Project into the Bristol Bay region and benefits for Alaska, (iii) the political and publ ic support for the

permitting process, (iv) the ability to successfully appeal the negative Record of Decision and secure the issuance of a positive Record

of Decision by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the ability of the Pebble Project to secure state permits, (v) the right-sizing and

de-risking of the Pebble Project, (vi) the design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project mine plan, (vii) exploration potential

of the Pebble Project, (viii) future demand for copper and gold, (ix) the potential partnering of the Pebble Project, and (x) the ability

and timetable of NDM to develop the Pebble Project and become a leading copper, gold and molybdenum producer. Although NDM

believes the expectations expressed in these forward -looking statements are base d on reasonable assumptions, such statements

should not be in any way be construed as guarantees that the Pebble Project will secure all required government permits, esta blish

the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project or develop the Pebble Project. 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 a ll land

use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) studies for the develop ment of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) NDM’s

estimates of mineral resources will not change, (iv) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble P roject,

and (v) 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 objec tives,

including (i) obtaining necessary mining and constructi on permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, including without

delay due to third party opposition or changes in government policies, (ii) finalization of the mine plan for the Pebble Project, (iii) the

completion of feasibility studies demonstr ating that any Pebble Project mineral resources that can be economically mined, (iv)

completion of all necessary engineering for mining and processing facilities, (v) the inability of NDM to secure a partner fo r the

development of the Pebble Project, and ( vi) receipt by NDM of significant additional financing to fund these objectives as well as

funding mine construction, which financing may not be available to NDM on acceptable terms or on any terms at all. NDM is als o

subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions, such as the current

uncertainties with regard to COVID-19.

The National Environment Policy Act Environmental Impact Statement process requires a comprehensive “alternatives asses sment”

be undertaken to consider a broad range of development alternatives, the final project design and operating parameters for th e

Pebble Project and associated infrastructure may vary significantly from that currently contemplated. As a result, the Com pany 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