As winter recedes and we head into the busy, warm months of the year, our presence in the Black Hills is also ramping up. Summer is prime field geology season for our technical team to be on the ground mapping and sampling as part of their exploration program.

Prior to our increased activity in the area, my co-founder Rob Bergmann and I believed it was pertinent to introduce ourselves to the local community and share more information about our company. Given the sometimes fraught, contentious nature of past relationships between gold explorers and local residents, we wanted the opportunity to dispel any misunderstandings and make ourselves available to answer questions from concerned community members.

On the evening of April 2nd, Rob and I had the chance to meet with approximately 75 residents at the Silver City Community Hall to give a short presentation on our company F3 Gold and the purpose of our work in the Black Hills. Our primary focus of the evening was to be accessible to the community and listen to their concerns.

While several folks in the packed schoolhouse voiced skepticism due to past negative experiences with different operators, we were able to demonstrate our commitment to a new standard of the highest ethical and environmental responsibility. Our model has always been based on creating value for all stakeholders, therefore earning trust and buy-in is the appropriate first step.

Should our project continue advancing, we believe there is potential for additional local partnerships and investment. Each step of our work will be done in a prudent manner to ensure we build strong relationships in the community and continue earning the reputation as a positive contributor and ethical operator.

“While several folks voiced skepticism due to past negative experiences with different operators, we were able to demonstrate our commitment to a new standard of the highest ethical and environmental responsibility.”

– Brian Lentz