AT&T is refusing to compromise. They have taken legal action in order to construct a 450 foot cellphone tower whose flashing lights will be visible from inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), thus forever changing the nature of the night sky inside the park. Located along the Canadian border in northeastern Minnesota, the remote million acre BWCAW is America's most popular true designated wilderness destination. These timeless waterways have been used for thousands of years by indigenous peoples and later by the French Voyaguers. Today, campers come to "unplug" from the modern world by paddling these routes in much the same way. A true wilderness, no roads, motors, glass or cans are allowed inside the park. "Leave no trace" ethics and rules apply.

District Court "Findings of Fact" state that a 199 foot unlit tower that cannot be seen from inside the wilderness area would provide effective cell phone coverage to every residence in the affected area. And two 199' unlit towers would actually provide 100.6% of the coverage created by the 450' tower. (Findings of Fact #'s 195-211) AT&T wants the taller tower to improve profitability timelines. The taller tower with lights becomes profitable in 38 months, while the shorter unlit tower project profits in 63 months...3 months beyond the Corporate profitabilty standard of 60 months. Evidence appears clear AT&T's decision in this case is soley profit driven rather than effectiveness of coverage for the areas consumers. Please join with me to encourage AT&T to do the right thing and compromise by building shorter unlit cellphone towers that will not forever alter the nature of the pristine night sky inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

With legal battles out of the way, this petition may be the last resort of letting AT&T know that "3 months of a corporate profit project timeline" is not a good enough reason to not be a good neighbor to one of America's most treasured true wilderness spaces.