Rare Element Appoints George Byers as VP - Government & Community Relations for the Bear Lodge Rare-Earths Project

TSX-V: RESAMEX: REE

VANCOUVER, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: RES) (AMEX: REE) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. George G. Byers as Vice President - Government and Community Relations. In this role he will lead an initiative to foster community and government support for the development and production of rare earths at the Bear Lodge Project, Wyoming.  

As a consultant, Mr. Byers has contributed significantly for a number of months to the initiative begun by the Company in the spring of 2010. He is a 35-year mining and energy industry veteran with extensive executive experience in federal, state and local government relations.  He has worked extensively in a variety of settings including dealing with public policy issues involved with mineral exploration, project siting and development, land use and public affairs issues in the Western United States. 

During his career, Mr. Byers served as vice president of the coal mining unit of Public Service Company of New Mexico, and as vice president of public affairs and communications for Santa Fe Pacific Gold prior to its acquisition by Newmont Mining Company.  He has held executive positions in the uranium industry with Rio Algom Mining and Cameco Corporation's US uranium production unit.  At Louisiana Energy Services he successfully built the case for siting in New Mexico what has become America's first commercial gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility.  Mr. Byers comes to Rare Element Resources from Neutron Energy Inc., a privately held uranium development company with interests in New Mexico and Wyoming.  He has been a consultant to the precious metals, rare earths, copper, and uranium industries on a variety of public and government issues.

Mr. Byers is a former president of the Northwest Mining Association, and serves on the boards of directors of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, the Citizens' Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE), the University of Mississippi Engineering School Advisory Board and the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, a Vietnam veteran, an Army Ranger and a former Army Infantry Officer. 

Dr. Donald E. Ranta, President and CEO of Rare Element Resources, states, "George is a solid strategic addition as we continue building our project development team for the Bear Lodge Project.  His background in Wyoming plus his experience and proven ability to educate and build community and government acceptance for important natural resources projects will help us immensely as we move Bear Lodge through the pre-feasibility, feasibility, and permitting phases into construction and production of rare-earth elements."

Rare Element Resources Ltd (TSX-V: RES & AMEX: REE) is a publicly traded mineral resource company focused on exploration and development of rare-earth elements and gold on the Bear Lodge property.

Rare-earth elements are key components of the green energy technologies and other high-technology applications. Some of the major applications include hybrid automobiles, plug-in electric automobiles, advanced wind turbines, computer hard drives, compact fluorescent light bulbs, metal alloys, additives in ceramics and glass, petroleum cracking catalysts, and a number of critical military applications. China currently produces more than 95% of the 130,000 metric tonnes of rare-earths consumed annually worldwide, and China has been reducing its exports of rare earths each year. The rare-earth market is growing rapidly, and is projected to accelerate if the green technologies are implemented on a broad scale.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Donald E. Ranta, PhD, PGeo, President & CEO

Donald E. Ranta, PhD, PGeo, serves the Board of Directors of the Company as an internal, technically Qualified Person.  Technical information in this news release has been reviewed by Dr. Ranta and has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements that are set out in National Instrument 43-101.  This news release was prepared by Company management, who take full responsibility for content. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Rare Element Resources Ltd.