MI Man Charged After Dredging Protected Wetlands: AG

LEELANUA COUNTY, MI — A Leland Township man is facing charges after dredging protected wetlands in northern Michigan, according to the Michigan Attorney General's Office.

Vincent Tomczak, 71, was charged with one count of filling, draining or dredging a wetland without a permit.

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Official said Tomczak dredged and filled at least one acre of protected wetlands beginning in 2023 and failed to obtain required permits from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

Tomczak made no effort to restore the land, though officials said he was given ample time.

"Michigan protects its wetlands with strict regulations and, when necessary, criminal penalties," Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "These protections help maintain a healthy environment and defend fragile and sometimes irreplaceable ecosystems. EGLE takes seriously their obligation to defend the resources of our State, and, in my office, we will prosecute when necessary to uphold and enforce compliance with the law."