Michigan man convicted of tampering, vandalizing Sleeping Bear Dunes

Matt Jaworowski
·1 min read
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A northern Michigan man has been convicted of two misdemeanor charges after illegally dredging the Platte River inside Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Andrew Howard, a 63-year-old man from Frankfort, was charged and convicted of one count of tampering with a natural resource within the National Park Service and one count of vandalism, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Wednesday afternoon.

An aerial view of the Platte River before it was tampered with in August 2022.
An aerial view of the Platte River before it was tampered with in August 2022.
A view of the Platte River after it was tampered with in August 2022.
A view of the Platte River after it was tampered with in August 2022.

Totten claims that Howard disagreed with the National Park Service’s 2017 decision to let the river maintain its natural course. In August 2022, Howard reportedly used tools to dig out sediment and rocks from the river basin and divert the Platte River’s flow into Lake Michigan.

That allowed bigger boats to illegally enter Platte Bay. According to investigators, within days, the natural power of the water and Howard’s dam caused the new channel to wash away a path of land nearly 200 feet wide.

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“The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a Michigan jewel,” Totten said in a statement. “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 that so many enjoyed.”

Howard could face up to six months in jail, a $5,000 fine and five years of probation.

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