Man sentenced for tampering, vandalism at Michigan national lakeshore

(CBS DETROIT) - A Michigan man who was convicted of diverting the Platte River's natural flow at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was sentenced to five years probation for vandalism and tampering.

Andrew Blair Howard, 63, was ordered to pay the National Park Service and U.S. Coast Guard $22,472.22 in restitution and $3,947.71 related to court proceedings. Howard was also banned from any Park Service property.

Officials said on Aug. 15, 2022, Howard dug sediment and rocks from the basin and stacked rocks on a dam to block the natural flow of water and divert it to a recently created channel to Lake Michigan.

After receiving reports, National Park Service law enforcement officers discovered a diversion near the mouth of the river.

"Mr. Howard had a policy dispute with the National Park Service over whether to dredge the Platte River. Reasonable people can disagree on the best course of action, but Congress gave NPS the power to decide," said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a statement. "While Mr. Howard had the right to disagree and advocate for his position, he did not have the right to take the law into his own hands and force his favored result. Doing so was a misdemeanor, and this sentence holds Mr. Howard accountable for his offense."