In a sudden about face, Iron County may be retracting an agreement to allow members of the Penokee Harvest Camp an extended permit to camp in the Penokee Hills.

Established by the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Wisconsin Ojibwe, the Penokee Harvest Camp was created in March 2013 to educate the public about the natural resources in the area and environmental impact of a proposed open pit iron ore mine by Gogebic Taconite in the Penokee Hills. (Related story: Fighting Mines in Wisconsin: A Radical New Way to Be Radical)

According to a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 19, Iron County legal counsel Michael Pope says that the Camp has exceeded the two-week limit for such gatherings.

In May 2013, the Iron County board had unanimously authorized Pope to work with county foresters in writing a land use permit allowing tribal members to camp for an extended period in the forest near the proposed GTAC mine. GTAC workers are currently conducting exploratory drilling in the area.