Everyone loves Sugarloaf Mountain. The fight for its future is still ugly.

After more than two years of planning, late-night meetings and public squabbles, the future of one of Maryland’s most unusual natural landscapes hangs in the balance ahead of a public meeting this week. But both land conservation groups and local public officials say the latest iteration of a plan for Sugarloaf Mountain that will land Tuesday before the Frederick County Council is less the product of back-and-forth than the result of threats hurled by park ownership. Stronghold, Inc., the nonprofit entity that owns the popular hiking and birdwatching destination about 30 miles from the District, has long opposed aspects of a county conservation plan for the region. That opposition boiled over in recent months into threats from Stronghold’s lawyers to end public access to the park.