Man Who Diverted National Park River to Ease Boat Access to Lake Michigan Is Put on Probation

EMPIRE, Mich.—A man convicted of diverting a national park river to ease boat access to Lake Michigan was sentenced Tuesday to probation. Andrew Howard was also banned from National Park Service property during the five-year period, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan where the incident occurred, prosecutors said. “Mr. Howard had a policy dispute with the National Park Service over whether to dredge the Platte River. … 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,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said....