The companies that paid for the flights, a normal means of travel to remote and often roadless parts of Alaska, are both in the early stages of a lengthy approval process. Barrick Gold Corp. spent $805 flying Todd Palin in September 2007 to Donlin Creek, where it hopes to build an open-pit gold mine on Native-owned land. The company hasn’t submitted any permit applications yet.
An environmental consultant for the project, William Jeffress, also donated $1,000 to Gov. Sarah Palin’s gubernatorial campaign. A company representative said that donation has little relevance in a process that requires hundreds of permits from federal and state authorities.
“It’s hard to image what influence any governor would really have … other than wanting to be kept informed,” said Greg Johnson, a vice president for NovaGold Resources Inc., Barrick’s partner in the project.
A month after the first visit, Todd Palin toured the Red Dog Mine, a lead and zinc operation in the northwestern part of the state. The $200 trip, which he took with Alaska’s labor commissioner, was paid for by Teck Cominco Alaska Inc. and included a stop at a technical training center. That company is currently seeking permission to mine a new deposit, which would extend the life of the mine to 2031.