Chilkat Valley residents demand Vizsla Copper leave; company extends lease to 2033

Nearly 300 Chilkat Valley residents delivered a letter to the Haines Borough Assembly in January demanding that Vizsla Copper Corporation abandon the Palmer Project, urging the body to "keep the Chilkat River free of acid-generating mines and full of fish – forever." The letter came out of a "No means go" campaign launched by Chilkat Forever, drawing support from people in Klukwan, Haines, and across the valley. Opponents cite concerns over potential impacts to the Chilkat River salmon habitat, including the river's role as one of Southeast Alaska's few remaining king salmon runs.

Vizsla responded by extending its lease. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office extended the company's Palmer Project lease through August 31, 2033, a seven-year addition announced in February 2026. Vizsla, which acquired the project from American Pacific Mining through a 2025 share purchase agreement, says the extension "ensures continuity of exploration and technical work."

The company frames the project as a domestic critical minerals asset. It reports all federal and state exploration permits are in place and inferred metal of approximately 152 million pounds of copper and 1.040 billion pounds of zinc. Vizsla has also hired a British Columbia public relations firm at C$100,000 per month.