...Ashland County Board Chairman Pete Russo said the response by Gogebic Taconite LLC was "overboard" compared to the threat so far. Russo said he was concerned about potential problems between the guards and hikers and, in the fall, hunters who are allowed to move freely on the Penokee Hills land where the mining company is operating.

"My main concern is you've got people in camouflage and carrying (semi-)automatic weapons. This is a cocktail for disaster," said Russo, whose county includes much of the Penokee Hills, though not the site where the Gogebic is currently operating. "There's a lot of people who are upset about this."

At the heart of the latest controversy is how the company should respond to the demonstrations and interact with those around its work site. Authorities say most of the protesters have been peaceful. But in a June 11 incident, a group of them damaged mining equipment and took a cellphone and camera, leading to the criminal charges against protester Katie Kloth of Stevens Point.

Iron County Board Chairman and Hurley Mayor Joe Pinardi said the well-armed security guards are warranted in the light of the protesters, whom he called "nothing more than a small group of terrorists."

"By these (security) people being present out there, they are hoping that any person out there causing a disturbance will leave," said Pinardi, whose county includes the work site.

So far, the controversy over the mine has outstripped the actual project, which is still only in the exploratory stage and is far from receiving the state and federal permits needed to proceed.

Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) said Gogebic had a right to protect its employees and property but had gone too far in hiring intimidating guards from Bulletproof, which is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Jauch said he didn't object to Gogebic's use of local security such as sheriff's deputies, who had been dressed in typical law enforcement uniforms and armed with pistols.

But he called on Gogebic to drop Bulletproof, which describes itself as a "no compromise security force." That level of force was not needed in an environment where most protesters are peaceful, Jauch said.

"It is this change that is bothering people. It is not the security. They can't justify this militarized security," Jauch said.

Bob Seitz, a spokesman for Gogebic, gave no sign of dropping Bulletproof, saying the company had done a "great job" and been "nothing but professional."