Lambert and other Iron County Board members have taken the position that the county needs the hundreds of jobs the mine promises. They say that the 4½-mile-long iron mine can be operated without ruining the surrounding forest or the scores of lakes, streams and wetlands downhill from the site.

But there also have been disputes about county threats to evict a tribal encampment near the mine site, and disagreements after the company brought in paramilitary-style security guards in reaction to a protest that turned ugly. Persistent questions have been raised about how much the mine will benefit residents.

Critics like Stella say the County Board didn’t demand enough money in negotiations that gave Gogebic Taconite the option to lease more than 3,000 acres of county forest the company needs as a home for about half of the waste rock that is to be excavated from the mine.

The agreement will give the county 10 percent more than it would have earned on fees paid by lumber companies that cut trees on the land.

“It’s a joke, the lease,” Stella said. “And it’s something the county could have gotten wealthy on.”