A Michigan man was convicted on federal tampering and vandalism charges after dredging a river inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, announced charges against Andrew Blair Howard, 62, of Frankfort, Michigan last May. Federal officials say Howard dredged the Platte River inside the federally protected Michigan park along Lake Michigan.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in August 2022, National Park Service law enforcement officers investigated reports of a diversion of the Platte River near its mouth.
On August 15, 2022, Howard used a shovel to dig sediment and rocks from the river basin and stacked large rocks on a dam to divert the river’s natural water flow toward a newly created channel out to Lake Michigan, contrary to a decision by the National Park Service to let the river follow its natural course. The diversion created an unauthorized access for large boats to enter Platte Bay.
Within days, the natural power of the water and the dam caused the new channel to reach approximately 200 feet wide.
Howard was charged with one count of tampering and one count of vandalism at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on August 15, 2022. These charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 6 months’ imprisonment, up to a $ 5,000 fine, up to 5 years’ probation, and mandatory restitution.
Howard was convicted in a bench trial by federal Magistrate Judge Ray Kent, who held that the defendant “intended to and in fact did divert the flow of the Platte River into Platte Bay.”
“The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a Michigan jewel,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Every year countless visitors enjoy its pristine waters, towering sand dunes, and rolling forests. Mr. Howard had a policy dispute with the National Park Service and took matters into his own hands, breaking the law rather than using lawful means to advocate for his position. His actions resulted in significant financial and ecological harm and altered the landscape so many enjoyed. Today and always my office commits to protect Michigan’s natural treasures.”
“The National Park Service appreciates the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in enforcing the laws that help protect this place for future generations.” said Superintendent Scott Tucker. “Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was created in 1970 to preserve and protect this spectacular place.”
The dredging (or lack thereof) of the Platte River has been a hot topic in Northern Michigan since officials announced the river would no longer be dredged back in 2017, a decision made by the National Parks Service.
“By not dredging the mouth of the Platte. It lets nature be nature, so it allows the mouth of the Platte to meander as it has historically for thousands of years, and it allows the natural resources to be on their own terms, in a sense,” Scott Tucker, Superintendent for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, told 9&10 News last year.
The Platte River originates in Long Lake in Traverse City, and flows through Platte Bay, a small bay of Lake Michigan.
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