Community Advisory Committees

Community Advisory Committees (CACs) are a requirement of the EIS and an important way to build relationships between mining projects and the communities where they operate. The Donlin Gold Project currently has one, fully seated CAC – the Subsistence Community Advisory Committee (SCAC) – with 16 members representing 11 communities in the region. The EIS mentions other potential CACs that the project may consider, these include:

1. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee: barging activities, land and river transportation and project-related infrastructure.

2. Environmental Committee: ongoing environmental monitoring and other studies related to the Donlin Gold project, including review and discussion of findings from ongoing studies.

3. Social and Cultural Responsibility Committee: social and cultural responsibility to the Region by supporting strong communities and healthy people.

Community Advisory Committees Have Many Important Functions

Establish Open, Transparent Communication

Establish open, transparent and reciprocal communications in the Region about Project operations and associated issues of concern.

Exchange Knowledge

Exchange information and knowledge among Regional stakeholders and Donlin Gold project leadership.

Encourage Public Collaboration

Encourage the public to interact, collaborate, and brainstorm with the DATROC (Donlin, Calista, and TKC) on an ongoing basis about the issues important to the Region.

Raise Community Concerns

Identify and discuss issues of concern to the community about Project operations in the Region and provide a framework for problem solving and conflict resolution.

Build Trust

Build trust and productive working relationships among community leaders, community members, businesses, and other stakeholders in the Region who all have a shared a commitment to strengthen the Region’s economy, health, and wellbeing.

Subsistence Community Advisory Committee

The Donlin project has one Community Advisory Committee, the Subsistence Community Advisory Committee (SCAC). It is an independent committee made up of representatives from the YK Region to share subsistence and traditional knowledge with the project through the Donlin Advisory Technical Review and Oversight Committee (DATROC).