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ST. PAUL, Minn. - A group wants the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that lets AT&T proceed with a 450-foot cellphone tower near Ely next door to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.

The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness is asking the high court instead to affirm a lower court finding that the tower would have a material adverse impact on the pristine area. The group says the tower and its flashing light would be visible from within the BWCA.

The group' says in a petition filed Thursday that the appeals court misinterpreted state law when it ruled the tower would not have a significant impact.

AT&T says the tower would extend cellphone service to residents east of Ely and make it easier for paddlers to summon help in emergencies.