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      Rare Element Graduated to Tier One
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Vancouver, BC - Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: RES) ("Rare
Element" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the TSX Venture
Exchange has approved the upgrade of Rare Element from a Tier Two
Issuer to a Tier One Issuer.

The listing requirements for being classified as a Tier One Issuer
include having a "material interest in a Tier One Property" -- defined
as a property with at least a potentially economic resource and a
recommended work program of at least $500,000, among other things.

In April, 2009, Rare Element filed a NI 43-101 Compliant resource
estimate on Sedar and during the review process by the TSX Venture
Exchange certain changes were made to improve the report. As such, the
edited report has been filed on Sedar today.

Don Ranta commented that "We are pleased that the TSX Venture Exchange
has elevated Rare Element to Tier One, which they reserve for their
more advanced companies."

Rare Element Resources Ltd (TSX-V:RES) is a publicly traded mineral
resource company focused on gold and strategic metals such as the
rare-earth elements. Rare Element and Newmont have entered into the
Sundance gold exploration joint venture on the Company's Wyoming
property. Newmont has the right to earn a 65% working interest in Rare
Element's property, excluding any rights to the rare-earth elements and
uranium but including rights to gold and other metals, by performing
US$5 million in property work expenditures over a five-year period.
Newmont also has the right to earn an additional 15% working interest
by completing a positive project feasibility study.

Rare Element's Bear Lodge property, Wyoming, also encompasses one of
the largest disseminated rare-earth occurrences in North America (M H
Staatz, 1983, US Geological Survey Professional Paper 1049D). In
parallel with the Sundance gold-focused exploration project, Rare
Element has completed a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate and a
Technical Report on the Bear Lodge Rare-Earth Mineralization. The
Company is also continuing with a metallurgical testing program of the
drill-hole samples collected during 2008 and planning a 2009 drilling
program to increase the resources.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Donald E. Ranta, Phd. PGeo.

Director, President & CEO

For information, refer to the Company's website at
www.rareelementresources.com or contact:

Donald E Ranta, President & CEO, (604) 687-3520
don@rareelementresources.com

Mark T. Brown, CFO, (604) 687-3520 ext. 242
mtbrown@pacificopportunity.com

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, which takes 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.

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Copyright (c) 2009 RARE ELEMENT RESOURCES LTD. (RES.V)  All rights
reserved.  For more information visit our website at
http://www.rareelementresources.com/ or send
mailto:jeff@globalmarketdev.com
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