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A Frankfort man was been sentenced to 60 months probation and ordered to pay for damages caused to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 2022.
Today U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Andrew Blair Howard, 63 years old of Frankfurt, has been sentenced to 60 months of probation, ordered to pay over 25,000 dollars in restitution and court fees, and has been banned from National Park service property. The government did not seek a sentence for imprisonment after Howard was found guilty earlier in the year.
In August 2022 Howard diverted a section of the Platte River near where it entered Lake Michigan. Using a shovel he removed sediment and rocks to create a dam, diverting the river’s natural flow into a new channel. During the National Park Service’s investigation rangers observed wetland vegetation drying out, and changes to water levels in the area. Negatively impacting threatened and endangered plant species and invertebrates. National Park Service continues to monitor the area for damage.
Those interested in learning more about the sentencing can find details here.
