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A person accused of diverting a nationwide park river to ease boat entry to Lake Michigan has been convicted of two misdemeanors.
Andrew Howard of Frankfort, Michigan, was discovered responsible of tampering and vandalism Wednesday throughout a quick trial in entrance of U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Ray Kent.
In August 2022, a Nationwide Park Service ranger witnessed Howard digging with a shovel so the Platte River within the Sleeping Bear Dunes Nationwide Lakeshore can be diverted into one of many Nice Lakes, prosecutors mentioned in a court docket submitting.
“Inside days, the pure energy of the water and the constructed dam brought about the river to divert and created a brand new channel to Lake Michigan that grew to roughly 200 toes huge,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer Lauren Biksacky mentioned.
“It stayed roughly that huge for the summer time and fall season,” she added. “There was then an inflow within the variety of fishermen that got here to Platte River boat launch to benefit from the favorable circumstances of entry created by the brand new channel.”
The Related Press left a voicemail and e mail in search of remark from Howard’s legal professional Thursday.
U.S. Lawyer Mark Totten mentioned Howard had a coverage dispute with the Nationwide Park Service and “took issues into his personal fingers.”
The Park Service not dredges the Platte River. Consequently, sediment and sand construct up, lowering the flexibility to get boats to Lake Michigan.
When the diversion first occurred, some state and native officers, companies house owners and angler teams expressed assist for the elevated boat entry and argued that it really benefitted the river, native information website Mlive.com reported. Township officers have known as for the river mouth dredged, arguing that its shallowness is a security hazard that impedes entry to Platte Bay for rescue boats.
In accordance with Mlive.com, since dredging stopped in 2016, two individuals have died within the bay —a teen from Holt drowned swimming and a 21-year-old died when his kayak capsized.
“it might be good for a rescue boat to have the ability to get on the market in a well timed style,” Kyle Orr, proprietor of Riverside Canoe Journeys, instructed Mlive.com.
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