Page 6 - Demo

meetings and conferences, mainly in a virtual environment, and we maintained regular communications with our key stakeholders, shareholders, and investors. As we enter the third year of the pandemic, we reflect on the challenges that have affected our families, our communities, and our organizations.
I am proud of the accomplishments of the teams at NOVAGOLD, our partner Barrick Gold, and Donlin Gold, who executed the 2021 work program with minimal COVID-19 cases at the project site and no Lost- Time Incidents. During our 2021 field season, out
of approximately 171,310 hours worked, we recorded four cases of COVID-19 at the Donlin Gold project site. The affected individuals fully recovered and ultimately returned to work.
Our operating protocols call for individuals to undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing prior to traveling to the Donlin Gold project camp and again before leaving the site to
return home. Our procedures were especially important at the time when cases began to rise in Alaska throughout the summer. Our enhanced COVID-19 Community and Workforce Protection Plan was particularly effective in making sure that safe operations could continue and the workforce would remain safe and healthy. Careful collaboration with our Native Corporation partners Calista Corporation and The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC), as well as with other Tribal groups in the Y-K region, remain key to our success.
In the third quarter, Donlin Gold put further restrictions on its Anchorage office following two positive COVID-19 cases there. All Donlin Gold employees in Anchorage who may have been exposed were tested and quarantined while continuing to work remotely in accordance with the protocols.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
NOVAGOLD developed a methodical process of reporting information related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters for fiscal year 2020. We launched our inaugural Sustainability Summary in the Integrated Annual Report, which is now available on NOVAGOLD’s website. For 2021, NOVAGOLD will be issuing a stand-alone Sustainability Summary Report to offer more information and detail regarding our ESG initiatives. These initiatives have always been an important part of our business, and we are excited to be building upon our track record of sharing our comprehensive ESG framework with
our stakeholders. We are invested in achieving the highest possible standards through our workforce development, performance, actions, and conduct as we continue to make improvements to this increasingly important sphere of our operations while advancing Donlin Gold up the value chain. NOVAGOLD is committed to responsible mining, stewardship of the environment, and community support in the areas where we operate.
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to NOVAGOLD’s email list and follow us on social media to ensure you don’t miss our Sustainability Summary Report.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS & COMMITMENTS
Donlin Gold is fortunate to have long-term partnerships with Calista and TKC, owners of the project’s mineral and surface rights, respectively. These partnerships date back decades. The project’s location on private land specially designated for mining activities, enshrined through the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), distinguishes it from many other mining projects in Alaska. In fact. 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of this landmark act, which has served as
a pillar of support for the well-being of the Indigenous people of Alaska. We are proud to share that in September 2021, the board of directors of the ANCSA Regional Association of the 12 regional Native Corporations unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Donlin Gold project. As representatives of key
NOVAGOLD president & CEO Gregory Lang with U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski at a Donlin Gold dinner in Anchorage in September 2021.
Donlin Gold’s 2021 “In It for the Long Haul” backhaul project removed and consolidated approximately 180,000 pounds of hazardous and electronic waste from 26 villages throughout the Y-K region, including Bethel, where these photos were taken.
4