Northern Dynasty Team Wins Thayer Lindsley International Discovery Award

February 1, 2007, Vancouver, BC -- Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") (TSXV:NDM;AMEX:NAK) announces that it has been selected to receive the Thayer Lindsley International Discovery Award from the Prospector"s and Developer"s Association of Canada. The Thayer Lindsley Award is presented annually to recognize an individual or a team of explorationists credited with a recent significant mineral discovery anywhere in the world. Representatives of the Company"s exploration and management team will receive the award for the discovery of the Pebble East deposit.

Northern Dynasty, through its US affiliates, owns the Pebble Project in southwestern Alaska, USA. The Pebble Project consists of the open pit style Pebble West deposit and the deeper but higher grade underground style Pebble East deposit. The copper, gold and molybdenum resources of the Pebble West and Pebble East deposits rank with the most important metal accumulations in the world and are of strategic importance to the United States of America.

The Pebble East deposit was discovered by drilling in late 2005. Northern Dynasty"s highly successful 2006 drill program substantially expanded the Pebble East deposit beyond the boundaries of the previously announced 1.8 billion tonne inferred mineral resource grading 1.05% copper equivalent (0.60% copper, 0.37% gold and 0.038% molybdenum) at a 0.60% copper equivalent cut-off, containing 24 billion pounds of copper, 22 million ounces of gold, and 1.5 billion pounds of molybdenum . Internationally recognized consultants, Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., are currently completing an audit of a new resource estimate for Pebble East, which is scheduled for release in the next few weeks. The 2007 drilling program at Pebble East is also set to recommence by mid February. A high probability exists to further expand the copper-gold-molybdenum resources.

Chairman Robert Dickinson said: "It is an honour for the Northern Dynasty team to receive the Thayer Lindsley Award for the discovery of the Pebble East copper-gold-molybdenum deposit. This important discovery was the result of the hard work and commitment of the on-the ground team of project managers, geologists, technicians, and support staff as well as the engineering, environmental and community development specialists that are continuing to execute the comprehensive studies necessary to develop a long-life, state of the art mine. In particular, we"d like to acknowledge the important contribution that local communities and the State of Alaska are making to the Pebble Project. Alaska has a global reputation for responsible resource development, and some of the most progressive environmental regulations and permitting processes in the world. By working together we will ensure that Pebble is developed in an environmentally and socially responsible way and it will be through our continued combined efforts that the full benefits of the Project will be realized. "

For further details on Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Project please visit the Company"s website at
www.northerndynasty.com or contact Investor Services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and US public filings at www.sec.gov.
On behalf of the Board of Directors Ronald W. Thiessen President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor any other regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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