It appears talks between Iron County and the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe (LCO) are at an impasse.
The two sides have been negotiating for almost two months after the county threatened to evict LCO’s Harvest Camp. The five-acre camp was erected in May near the area where an open-pit iron ore mine has been proposed.
In May, the Iron County Forestry Committee voted unanimously to allow it to operate on county forest land for one year. A vote by the full county board was needed. That never happened. In fact, in July, the board voted to not only evict the Harvest Camp but also press unstated charges against camp members.
Cooler heads prevailed, and the two sides began what they’ve called “amiable” talks. But Harvest Camp spokesman Paul DeMain says after a meeting this week, it appears they’re stalled.
“I would call it very close to an impasse at this moment in terms of the negotiations and discussions,” says DeMain. “Frankly, my individual position as an observer would be is that there is no need for any more discussion.”
DeMain says that would change if Iron County budges from its stance that LCO is camping in the forest, which means it can only stay for two weeks. But he says treaty rights allow Lake Superior Ojibwe tribes to hunt, fish and gather in the ceded territory, so they don’t need a permit. “The permit is a courtesy to enter county forest land,” says DeMain. “That will be the ultimate question the attorneys are going to ask – is it even necessary?”
Several calls to Iron County and LCO officials involved in the negotiations have not been returned. Iron County Board Supervisor Thomas Thompson says both sides agreed not to comment about negotiations until they are complete.
They had intended to have an agreement in time for this month’s county board meeting, but that didn’t happen.
