Mine profile
Bear Lodge: location, owner, status and timeline (2026)
Development Wyoming
Bear Lodge, in Crook County, Wyoming, about 12 miles northwest of Sundance inside the Black Hills National Forest, is the second-highest-grade US rare earth deposit, at 3.05% TREO (OSTI review, 2026). Rare Element Resources (OTCQB: REEMF) owns it, and the proposed Bull Hill Mine is in a fast-tracked federal review scheduled to finish in early 2028.
Verified through Oct 1, 2026
Status and timeline Report a correction All US rare earth mines
Where is Bear Lodge?
Bear Lodge is in the Bear Lodge Mountains of Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, about 12 miles northwest of Sundance. The proposed Bull Hill Mine lies inside the Black Hills National Forest, about 22 miles from Devils Tower.
The Bear Lodge property covers two deposits, Bull Hill and Whitetail Ridge, plus the exploration targets East Taylor and Carbon. Prospectors first worked the mountains for gold in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and found thorium and rare earths in 1949 while searching for uranium. Hecla Mining explored the area from 1987 to 1991 and identified Bull Hill from three drill holes.
Rare Element plans to process the ore at a facility near Upton, Wyoming, where it already runs a demonstration plant. Wyoming's other rare earth projects are Halleck Creek and Brook Mine.
Who owns Bear Lodge?
Rare Element Resources (OTCQB: REEMF) fully owns Bear Lodge. The company is based in Littleton, Colorado, Ken Mushinski has been its president and chief executive since May 1, 2024, and Synchron, an affiliate of General Atomics, is its majority shareholder.
Synchron first bought about 33.5% of the shares and held an option to rise to 49.9%. After a later share offering it was expected to hold about 71.4%. Rare Element has reported investing about $180M in the project over its life.
See Rare Element Resources: what it does, projects, funding and status for the company profile.
What is the status and timeline of Bear Lodge?
Bear Lodge is in "Development": it has a defined resource, a plan of operations submitted to the Forest Service and a running demonstration plant. Federal permitting, covered by FAST-41 since Mar 20, 2026, is scheduled to finish in early 2028.
- 1949
Thorium and rare earth mineralization is found in the Bear Lodge Mountains during uranium exploration.
- 1987 to 1991
Hecla Mining explores the area and identifies the Bull Hill and Whitetail Ridge deposits.
- 2022
The Wyoming Energy Authority awards a $4.4M grant for the demonstration plant.
- Jul 2023
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues a source material license for the Upton plant.
- Mar 2024
An updated technical report summary shows about 6 Mt measured and indicated at about 4% TREO for Bull Hill.
- May 2024
Ken Mushinski becomes president and chief executive.
- Mar 20, 2026
The mine plan of operations is submitted and Bear Lodge becomes a FAST-41 covered project.
- Mar 24, 2026
Initial operations begin at the Upton demonstration plant.
- Jun 2026
The company reports a clear permitting timetable but delays to the demonstration plant while it modifies concentrate-making equipment.
- Jul 29, 2026
The Forest Service starts the environmental review and a 30-day public scoping period.
- Aug 28, 2026
The public comment period closes.
Next milestones
- Late 2026
The company targets full operation of the demonstration plant.
- Early 2028
Federal and state permitting is scheduled to be complete; the Forest Service lists a decision date of about Jul 2028.
What rare earths would Bear Lodge mine?
Bear Lodge would mine bastnaesite-bearing carbonatite, targeting neodymium, praseodymium, samarium and terbium. OSTI reports 16.3 Mt at 3.05% TREO, and a 2024 technical report puts Bull Hill alone at about 6 Mt measured and indicated at about 4% TREO.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Project resource | 16.3 Mt at 3.05% TREO | OSTI review (2026) |
| Bull Hill measured and indicated | About 6 Mt at about 4% TREO | Technical report summary (Mar 2024) |
| Mine design | Open pit on about 260 acres of National Forest System land | Forest Service notice (Jul 2026) |
| Operating life and jobs | 17 years; 110 permanent positions | Company, as reported by WTOP |
| State tax revenue | More than $75M over the operating life | Company, as reported by WTOP |
The 2024 report gives a longer mine life estimate of about 30 years for a small-footprint operation, so the 17-year plan of operations and the 30-year estimate describe different cases.
How would Bear Lodge be processed and who would buy the output?
Rare Element runs a demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming that uses its own extraction and separation technology to make separated NdPr oxide. It started operating in Mar 2026 and has been delayed by equipment changes, and no offtake agreement is recorded.
The Upton plant is planned to run for up to 10 to 12 months and make about 10 t of separated NdPr oxide. Operations began on Mar 24, 2026, but full operation was delayed in Jun 2026 while the team changed equipment that makes the mixed rare earth concentrate feeding the separation circuits. The company has targeted full operation by late 2026.
The plant holds a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission source material license (Jul 2023), which matters because Bear Lodge ore carries thorium. The company expects to complete all federal and state permitting and licensing by early 2028 before building a commercial processing facility near Upton.
What permits and community issues affect Bear Lodge?
Bear Lodge needs a Forest Service approval of its mine plan of operations under an environmental impact statement. The agency began the review on Jul 29, 2026, and a public scoping period ran to Aug 28, 2026. Residents have raised water, wildlife and recreation concerns.
- Federal process: Rare Element submitted its mine plan of operations to the Black Hills National Forest on Mar 20, 2026, the same day the Federal Permitting Council added Bear Lodge as the 54th FAST-41 covered project. The Forest Service lists an estimated decision in Jul 2028, while the company expects permitting to finish by early 2028.
- Public comment: The Forest Service opened a 30-day scoping period in late Jul 2026. Under FAST-41 there is no draft environmental impact statement or objection stage, so this was a main chance for comment.
- Concerns raised: Residents cited water quality, including drainage toward Cook Lake and creek headwaters, air quality, wildlife, a visual-standards deviation from the Black Hills Forest Plan, the loss of a popular hiking area and a rushed federal timeline.
- Support: Crook County commissioner John Davis said the county is in favor of the project and hopes it goes forward.
What government support has Bear Lodge received?
Bear Lodge's demonstration plant has received about $24.2M of federal funding and a $4.4M Wyoming Energy Authority grant, and the project has FAST-41 permitting coverage. Together the public money was expected to cover about 40% of the plant's cost.
| Agency and instrument | Amount | When | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of EnergyFunding for the demonstration plant. DOE approved the budget to start on-site construction in Dec 2023 | $24.2M | Date not stated | Closed |
| Wyoming Energy AuthorityGrant. State, not federal, funding | $4.4M | 2022 | Closed |
| Federal Permitting Council (FAST-41)Covered project status | Process, not money | Mar 20, 2026 | Closed |
FAST-41 coverage is a permitting process and not money. See FAST-41 permitting and US rare earth projects and the government support tracker.
Questions about Bear Lodge
Where is the Bear Lodge rare earth project?
Bear Lodge is in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, about 12 miles northwest of Sundance. The proposed Bull Hill Mine is inside the Black Hills National Forest, and processing is planned near Upton.
Who owns the Bear Lodge project?
Rare Element Resources (OTCQB: REEMF), based in Littleton, Colorado, fully owns it. Synchron, an affiliate of General Atomics, is the majority shareholder, and Ken Mushinski is chief executive.
When will Bear Lodge be permitted?
Rare Element expects federal and state permitting to finish by early 2028, and the project has been covered by FAST-41 since Mar 20, 2026. The Forest Service lists an estimated decision date of Jul 2028.
Is there a public comment period for the Bear Lodge mine?
A 30-day scoping comment period ran from late Jul 2026 to Aug 28, 2026. Under FAST-41 the review has no draft environmental impact statement or objection stage, so the next formal documents come later.
What are the concerns about the Bear Lodge mine?
Residents cited water quality, wildlife, air quality, a visual-standards deviation from the Black Hills Forest Plan, loss of a hiking area and a rushed federal timeline. The county commission supports the project.
How high is the grade at Bear Lodge?
OSTI reports 16.3 Mt at 3.05% TREO, the second-highest grade of any US deposit tracked here. A 2024 report shows Bull Hill at about 4% TREO for about 6 Mt measured and indicated.
Sources and verification
Each profile lists its sources, a confidence grade and a verification date. Order of authority: official records (SEC filings, agency documents), company documents and technical reports, research papers, then independent press. Syndicated copies and reference works are labeled and are never the only source for a number. Company-reported figures are labeled as such, and non-binding deals are labeled "letter of intent" or "conditional".
- OSTI review, Minerals Engineering 249 (Kashyap et al., 2026) Research paper
- Forest Service: Bear Lodge Rare Earth Project page Official record
- Federal Permitting Council: Bear Lodge FAST-41 coverage Official record
- WTOP: locals concerned as the federal process is fast-tracked (Aug 2026) Independent press
- Dakota News Now: Forest Service seeks public input (Jul 2026) Independent press
- Sundance Times: permitting process begins (Aug 2026) Independent press
- Metal Tech News: permitting seamless, demo slowed (Jun 2026) Independent press
- Rare Element Resources: geology and mineralization Company document
- Rare Element Resources 8-K on the CEO change (SEC) Official record
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