Andrew Blair Howard Sentenced For Vandalism at Sleeping Bear Dunes

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — In a stunning reversal of nature’s will, Andrew Blair Howard, 63, from Sparta and Frankfort, Michigan, was sentenced today to 60 months’ probation for his brazen act of vandalism at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The federal court ordered Howard to pay $22,472.22 in restitution to the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Coast Guard, along with an additional $3,947.71 in court costs.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ray Kent also imposed a stringent condition of probation, banning Howard from all NPS property, including the iconic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as a term of his sentence.

The federal government did not seek imprisonment for Howard. Instead, Judge Kent held him accountable for his offenses following a trial that found him guilty of two federal misdemeanors: tampering and vandalism at the site.

Howard’s transgression began on August 15, 2022, when he was caught using a shovel to dig sediment from the Platte River basin. Evidence revealed Howard had stacked large rocks on a dam, diverting the river’s natural flow toward Lake Michigan in defiance of an NPS decision to let it run its course.

According to U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, ‘Mr. Howard’s actions were not just about a policy dispute; they were an attack on the rule of law and the authority of the National Park Service. His sentence holds him accountable for his offense and serves as a warning against taking matters into one’s own hands.’

The NPS deployed significant resources to assess the damage caused by Howard’s actions. The Platte River area, home to protected wetlands, coastal dunes, plants, and wildlife, including endangered species like the piping plover and Pitcher’s thistle, suffered severely due to the altered water flow and diminished water levels.

The unauthorized channel created by Howard also allowed large boats access to Platte Bay. The NPS concluded that major remediation was not advisable, given the potential damage to the delicate ecosystems of the area. The agency continues to monitor the situation closely.

RELATED: Blair Howard Sentenced for Dunes Tampering & Vandalism