450-Foot Cellphone Tower Near BWCA Will Be Allowed

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A 450-foot cellphone tower with flashing lights that would be seen from parts of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness will be allowed to go forward, after the Supreme Court denied a request to hear the case.

The high court's decision means a June ruling by the Minnesota Court of Appeals — which allows the tower — will stand.

The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness had wanted to block the tower proposed by AT&T Mobility, saying its location atop a ridge near Ely would make it visible from 10 lakes within the protected area. The group had argued that a smaller tower without lights would provide sufficient coverage.

The BWCA covers more than 1 million acres in northeastern Minnesota.

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