Mine, Forest-Access Protest Set For Sunday

Environmental and Native American treaty rights' activists will gather Sunday to protest new, state-imposed access restrictions along forest roads as ore sampling begins in support of GTac's projected, massive open-pit iron mine in Northwest Wisconsin. 

Paul DeMain, one of the organizers from the Lac Courte Oreilles Harvest and Education Project, tells Wisconsin Public Radio ( http://bit.ly/MkR71E) the protest will be peaceful. But he says once they gather on the edge of the off-limits area, it's possible one or two individuals might cross into the forbidden zone as an act of civil disobedience.

DeMain says he has already informed Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk and District Attorney Marty Lipske.

GOP legislators allied with the mining company and Gov. Walker have passed company-friendly bills that speed up state mining permitting reviews and keep people at least 600 feet from mine-related roads.

Some of those lands receives state tax breaks in exchange for allowing hikers and others on the property.