Idaho Strategic Resources announced results of its 2023 trenching program at Lemhi Pass. A total of 1,070 linear feet was divided to construct eight trenches over three prospects. The three historical prospects known as In-Trust, Sparky, and Independence mark the first prospects out of IDR's expansive land position to be tested in the district.

IDR maintains approximately 11,425 acres of unpatented claims and state lease land at Lemhi Pass. Two of the three In-Trust trenches encountered strong REE mineralization associated with faults. The 13 samples in the table below assay up to 3.28% total rare earths (TREE) and average 1.5% TREE.

Of note, are very strong enrichments of neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), samarium (Sm), and dysprosium (Dy). These elements are used in the manufacture of rare earth permanent magnets and are among the most valued of all the rare earth elements (REEs). In the listed assays, the distribution of rare earth elements is 58% Nd, 8% Pr, 8% Sm, and 2% Dy.

Incredibly, these four components combined account for up to 76% of the total rare earth element percentage. At Sparky, four samples collected from material during trenching returned the highest published total rare earth elements assay (5.2% TREE) in the Lemhi Pass district to date. These samples, although not in place, are considered representative of the mineralization source below.

The trenching was unable to uncover structural features as the site had been historically excavated and reclaimed and the bedrock proved deeper than the excavator limits. The mineralized rock samples from Sparky show yellow-brown to red-brown frothy, boxwork textured rock, flooded with golden brown jasperoidal material. The greater Lemhi district straddles the Idaho-Montana border in central Idaho, occupies more than 55 square miles, and encompasses more than 250 prospects.

Exploration sampling by IDR in 2022 confirmed the presence of rare earth elements mineralization along a 1.5-mile-long section of the Lemhi Pass Fault; where other large regional structural features, such as the Bull Moose and Dan Patch faults, either intersect or approach one another. REE mineralization in this area occurs in intense shear/fracture zones hosted in Mesoproterozoic metasediments. Trenching highlights came from the In-Trust prospect which lies in the middle of the regional structural intersection.

Three trenches were cut in the In-Trust area; one trench failed to reach bedrock and was abandoned, while the other two trenches uncovered strong REE mineralization associated with structures manifested as chocolate brown to purple-black clay fault gouge with specular hematite. The fault clay ranges in thickness from 10 to 50 cm and displays mylonitic and fluidized textures. The company expected shallow flat, basal thrust in orientation, but instead were pleased to find moderate to high angle dipping features as well.

In Trench 2, the thrust feature was exposed for 25 meters along strike. The mylonite is west-dipping with elongated and rounded fluidized clasts. The listed samples are continuous 3-meter channels along strike of the mylonite.

In Trench 3, the same chocolate-colored mineralized material was encountered, but along moderate to high angle dipping structural features. Assay results, showing rare earth elements plus yttrium and scandium, for the two trenches are displayed in the table above. This years' trenching at Independence failed to uncover the REE bearing fault.

The rock units in this area were observed to be sheared with moderate to strong alterations. Assay results showed this area to have moderately elevated niobium values of up to 1200 ppm, but low REE values.