VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Gold Corp. (TSX: LGD; OTCQX: LGDTF) (“Liberty Gold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the United States Forest Service (“USFS”) has published a Notice of Intent (“NOI”) in the Federal Register to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for the Company’s Black Pine Oxide Gold Project (“Black Pine”) located in southeastern Idaho. The approval and publication of an NOI is the key permitting milestone that initiates the federal environmental review process for major projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”).

The EIS process includes public scoping, technical studies and environmental analysis conducted by the lead federal agency in coordination with federal and state cooperating agencies. Liberty Gold will continue to engage proactively with regulators, local communities, Tribal Nations, and stakeholders throughout the review. The process will progress through preparation and publication of a draft EIS, followed by a public review period, and the issuance of a Final EIS, which together with the Mine Plan of Operations, deemed administratively complete in November 2025, (see press release dated November 26, 2025) will form the basis for a federal Record of Decision.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch (Idaho) stated, “Mining has long been central to Idaho’s economy, and efficient permitting is critical to ensuring responsible projects like the Black Pine Gold Project can move forward. This announcement brings Idaho one step closer to creating more jobs and attracting new investment as we strengthen the future of our domestic mining industry.”

U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson (Idaho)stated, "I am pleased to see the advancement of Black Pine Oxide Gold Project in southeastern Idaho. There has been a true partnership between the State of Idaho and the United States Permitting Council, both of which are aligned to streamline Idaho's permitting process. The Trump administration has worked hard to fix the decades-long permitting failures through deregulation and cutting red tape. I applaud this collaboration and look forward to further advancements in this project."

“With the publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register, Black Pine has entered the formal NEPA review phase,” said Jon Gilligan, President and CEO of Liberty Gold. “This milestone reflects the completion of the pre-NEPA technical and baseline workstreams and positions the project to advance through a coordinated environmental review process. Importantly, as a FAST-41 Covered Project, a publicly disclosed federal and state permitting schedule is now in place, providing transparency, accountability, and a clear path forward. We are excited to be working collaboratively with all the agencies involved to move Black Pine efficiently, effectively and respectfully through the permitting process.”

Black Pine represents a large-scale, oxide gold development opportunity in the U.S. Great Basin, supported by a multi-million-ounce mineral endowment, existing infrastructure and a well-established mining and permitting jurisdiction.

The project is advancing under the auspices of the United States Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council as a FAST-41 “Covered Project,” with both federal and State of Idaho agencies operating under a coordinated permitting framework. A comprehensive permitting schedule has been published on the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard, providing a publicly disclosed federal and state permitting timeline.

In parallel with permitting, Liberty Gold continues to advance Black Pine through feasibility-level engineering, ongoing environmental baseline programs, and supporting technical workstreams. These activities are designed to support the feasibility study, targeted for release in Q4, 2026, while advancing Black Pine toward development.

ABOUT LIBERTY GOLD
Liberty Gold is a U.S.-focused gold company advancing Black Pine, its 100% owned oxide gold project in Idaho, located within the Great Basin, one of the world’s most productive and mining-friendly gold regions. Black Pine is a large-scale, past-producing, run-of-mine heap leachable gold deposit progressing through feasibility and permitting toward a modern open-pit mining operation. The Company’s strategy is centered on advancing high-quality, long-life gold assets, with a clear focus on technical simplicity, strong environmental performance, project executability, collaborative permitting processes, and value creation. This reflects Liberty Gold’s commitment to the discipline of delivery. The Company is led by an experienced team with a track record of discovery, development, and delivering sustained long-term value.

For more information, visit libertygold.ca or contact:

Susie Bell, Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Phone: 604-632-4677 or Toll-Free 1-877-632-4677
info@libertygold.ca

This news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements or information concerning, future financial or operating performance of Liberty Gold and its business, operations, properties and condition; planned de-risking activities at Liberty Gold’s mineral properties; federal and state permitting timelines, future updates to the mineral resource, the potential quantity, recoverability and/or grade of minerals; the potential size of a mineralized zone or potential expansion of mineralization; proposed exploration and development of Liberty Gold’s exploration property interests; future water rights acquisitions; the results of mineral resource estimates or mineral reserve estimates and preliminary feasibility studies; and the Company’s anticipated expenditures.

Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "planned", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including, among others, assumptions about future prices of gold, and other metal prices, currency exchange rates and interest rates, favourable operating conditions, political stability, timely receipt of governmental or regulatory approvals, including any stock exchange approvals; receipt of a financing on time, obtaining renewals for existing licenses and permits and obtaining required licenses and permits, labour stability, stability in market conditions, availability of equipment, results or timing of any mineral resources, results or timing of any baseline studies, resource conversion, pre-feasibility study,  mineral reserves, or feasibility study; the availability of drill rigs, successful resolution of disputes and anticipated costs and expenditures. Many assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Liberty Gold and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Such forward-looking information, involves known and unknown risks, which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including, risks related to the interpretation of results and/or the reliance on technical information provided by third parties as related to the Company’s mineral property interests; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; state and federal permitting processes, future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; the costs and timing of the development of new deposits; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; the timing and success of exploration activities generally; the timing or results of the publication of any mineral resources, mineral reserves or feasibility studies; delays in permitting; possible claims against the Company; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing, timing of the completion of exploration as well as those factors discussed in the Annual Information Form of the Company dated March 25, 2026, in the section entitled "Risk Factors", under Liberty Gold’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

Although Liberty Gold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Liberty Gold disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except for material differences between actual results and previously disclosed material forward-looking information, or as otherwise required by law.

Except for statements of historical fact, information contained herein or incorporated by reference herein constitutes forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking statements and forward-looking information attributable to us is expressly qualified by these cautionary statements.