Northern Dynasty releases ‘Environmental, Social & Governance’ (ESG) Report for Alaska’s Pebble Project

Northern Dynasty releases ‘Environmental, Social & Governance’ (ESG) Report for Alaska’s Pebble Project

April 27, 2021 Vancouver – Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX: NDM; NYSE American: NAK) ("Northern

Dynasty" or the "Company") has completed an ‘Environmental, Social & Governance’ (“ESG”) Report for

southwest Alaska’s Pebble Project , and posted it to its corporate website at

https://northerndynastyminerals.com/responsible-mining/esg-reports/.

Northern Dynasty acquired its interest in State of Alaska mineral claims at the Pebble property in 2001, and

since that time has worked diligently with a number of partners to explore, plan and permit a proposed

copper-gold-molybdenum-silver-rhenium mine. The Pebble Project ESG Report released today addresses the

broad range of progressive principles, practices and commitments the Company and its 100% -owned US-

based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership (“Pebble Partnership”) have employed at Pebble over the past

two decades to advance the project toward environmentally sound and socially responsible development.

“For many reasons – including the Pebble deposit’s size and significance, its location in a vast region that

supports world-class fisheries, and the active campaigning of nation al environmental organizations – the

progress of the Pebble Project has been marked by public controversy and rhetoric,” said Ron Thiessen,

Northern Dynasty President & CEO. “It’s unfortunate because so much of the good work done to plan, permit,

develop and operate a modern copper mine at Pebble that would, in many ways, set a new standard for

responsible mineral development in the United States has been obscured.”

Thiessen said the report summarizes the major ESG policies, planning and engineering approaches, and social

commitments that Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Partnership have made since acquiring the Pebble

Project in 2001 through to receiving a negative ‘Record of Decision’ (“ROD”) from the US Army Corps of

Engineers (“USACE”) in late 2020. The report’s ‘Introduction’ concludes:

“This ESG report is an effort to explain simply and directly, without embellishment, what NDM (Northern

Dynasty) and PLP (the Pebble Partnership) have done in the years 2001 to 2020 to advance the Pebble

Project in an environmentally sound and socially/corporately responsible way.

“We do not expect to convince readers based on this document alone that the Pebble deposit can or should

be developed. Rather, the intent is to contribute to a more informed and balanced dialogue about the

proposed Pebble mine and the future of the Pebble Project by facilitating greater understanding of its past.”

In July 2020, following 2½ years of intensive review by the USACE and eight federal cooperating agencies

(including the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Fish & Wildlife Service), three state cooperating

agencies (including the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Alaska Department of Environmental

Conservation), as well as the Lake & Penin sula Borough and federally recognized tribes, the Final

Environmental Impact Statement (“Final EIS”) for the Pebble P roject was published. It found the proposed

mine would not have a measureable impact on local fish populations or the commercial, subsistence and

sport fisheries that depend on them, and would make a significant socioeconomic contribution to the region,

the state and the country.

Notwithstanding the findings of the Final EIS, the USACE issued a negative ROD for the Pebble Project in

November 2020, a decision which is currently under appeal.

“We believe we have proposed a project of considerable merit – one that demonstrably meets the high

environmental standards enforced in Alaska and the United States, and will make a profound contribution to

the state’s economy and the country’s transition to a lower -carbon future through the production of

domestic copper,” Thiessen said. “The ESG Report published today is another step along the path of

demonstrating that Pebble can be part of the solution to a more sustainable future.”

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, is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alask a, including

the Pebble deposit, located 200 miles from Anchorage and 125 miles from Bristol Bay. The Pebble Partnership

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 state ments of historical facts, that address permitting, development and production for the Pebble Project

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 public 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 based on reasonable assumptions, such statements

should not be in any way be construed as guarantees that the Pebble Project will secure all required government pe rmits, establish

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 ot her permits and all land

use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) studies for the development of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) ND M’s

estimates of mineral resources will not change, (iv) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feas ibility of the Pebble Project,

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 objectives,

including (i) obtaining necessary mining and construction permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, including with out

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 demonstrating that any Pebble Project mineral resources that can be economically mined, (iv )

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

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

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

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 assessment”

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 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