Protecting biodiversity at our mine sites and in surrounding habitats is a critical part of Hecla’s planning process and operational plans, which include comprehensive land and habitat management activities.
Just as we minimize environmental impacts when operating our mines, we are also committed to returning the land to other productive uses when the mines close and safeguarding the biodiversity of our surrounding ecosystems.
Reclamation of mined lands is an integral part of every Hecla project. Our operating sites are required to maintain reclamation and closure plans, which are reviewed annually to ensure that operations provide for successful closure and rehabilitation. Hecla’s Manager of Closed Operations is responsible for proposing reclamation initiatives and overseeing the employees working on the day-to-day maintenance at our closed sites. We maintain approximately $224 million in guaranteed outside bonds to ensure that closure and reclamation occur at all of our sites.
Troy is a closed mine in Montana where we have conducted most stages of reclamation. A tailings facility we revegetated has evolved so well that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) uses overhead footage and photos of the site as an example of successful reclamation. The ongoing monitoring requirements of the plan relate to water quality, air, subsidence, and third-party engineering inspections of our tailings storage facility. We expect to complete final construction and revegetation work in 2026.
At the Keno Hill Silver District in Yukon Territory, Hecla is executing a comprehensive, multi-year reclamation plan that began with our acquisition of the Keno Hill project in 2022. Our vision is to remediate environmental impacts that predate Hecla’s local operations, while protecting valued community heritage. The project is led by the Elsa Reclamation and Development Corporation (ERDC), owned by Hecla.
ERDC is proud to be the recipient of the 2025 Robert E. Leckie Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship. The Government of Yukon presents the award each year to recognize excellence in environmental stewardship within the mining sector in Yukon. The award recognizes ERDC’s outstanding remediation work at the Keno Hill Silver District and the team’s commitment to community engagement and environmental responsibility. ERDC was independently nominated by an industry group for its comprehensive approach to remediation, community engagement, and support for local and FNNND business participation.
Hecla successfully managed concurrent projects related to several tailings storage facilities. We completed the successful reclamation of three legacy facilities and fulfilled all reclamation obligations, with the reclamation bond being released from the last such site by the State of Idaho in 2025.
Hecla’s biodiversity footprint is not restricted to our mine sites – the actions we take can extend to habitats and species that live and migrate beyond our direct operations.
As part of the permitting process, we conduct detailed studies that consider potential impacts on biodiversity and incorporate reduction and mitigation measures into project plans, as well as studying and monitoring our impacts. We make an effort to consult with local communities and members of Indigenous Peoples for guidance and input about local species of plants and wildlife.
Some Hecla operations are situated near species that require accommodations for migration or nesting. Greater sage-grouse and woodland caribou are among the neighbors we pay special attention to, along with bald eagles, other raptors, and other migratory birds.
At Midas in Nevada, we conduct several types of surveys prior to an exploration disturbance or new drill pads to minimize environmental disturbances. We conduct biological surveys to assess habitat impacts for pygmy rabbits, bats, raptors, sensitive plants, and migratory and nesting birds. In Alaska, we monitor the health of salmon waterways through regular sampling. At Fire Creek, Hecla worked with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a habitat improvement plan for greater sage grouse, a near-threatened species that is in decline primarily due to habitat loss. Habitat improvements are designed to offset disturbances from mining and exploration activities.
In northwest Montana, Hecla owns approximately 8,600 acres of land, of which approximately 6,400 acres have been acquired with the goal of preserving the forest and associated watersheds as habitat for wildlife such as deer, elk, moose, and endangered species such as grizzly bears. Over the past decade, we have donated approximately $700,000 to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to support a Grizzly Bear Management Specialist.
Prior to expanding our tailings facility at Greens Creek, we worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife to conduct a detailed bald eagle survey to identify active nesting sites and ensure our activities would not disturb these protected birds. This approach reflects our commitment to making decisions based on the most current ecological data.
Hecla secured 53 abandoned mine features at our Aurora site in 2025 alone. Found throughout Nevada’s historic mining districts, these shafts, adits, open pits, and stopes can be difficult to see and unstable due to age, posing a significant risk to human and animal life. We use fencing, berms, and signage to allow bats and other animals to still use the shafts as habitat while protecting humans and large wildlife.
With habitats for golden eagles, hawks, and owls at our Aurora site, we relocate drilling pads if we find a nest, and we survey as needed for migratory birds and pygmy rabbits.
For the second consecutive year, juvenile coho salmon have been documented above our intake weir at Greens Creek. Our annual biomonitoring program has demonstrated that the weir does not impede fish passage. In fact, this discovery has opened an additional 1,600 feet of spawning habitat, directly expanding the habitat available to salmon populations in the watershed. These achievements demonstrate that responsible resource development and habitat conservation are not mutually exclusive.
