EMPIRE, MI – Staff at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is warning visitors that large quantities of broken glass have been found on its Lake Michigan beach.

The shards, which were found near the Good Harbor Picnic Area at the east end of Lake Michigan Road in Cleveland Township, appear to have been spread deliberately, according to Leelanau District Ranger Andy Blake.

Glass was also found in large quantities along the Lake Michigan beach in October 2017 near the Lane Road parking area in Port Oneida.

The new glass is spread “just like” the shards in that incident, according to park staff.

The glass was not dumped in one spot but is spread uniformly up and down the beach for several hundred yards, staff said.

The glass is creating an obvious hazard to beachgoers since it consists of literally thousands of freshly broken pieces mostly one half to two inches in size.

“I am outraged by this act that is clearly intended to injure visitors to the National Lakeshore,” said Superintendent Scott Tucker.

“Thousands of pieces of broken glass do not appear on the beach without malicious intent. I hope our visitors and the local community can help identify the person or persons who would deliberately harm our beachgoers, including children.”

Park staff will be taking time from their regular duties to work alongside park volunteers to walk the beach in Good Harbor and remove as many pieces of broken glass as possible before visitors and wildlife find them unexpectedly.

Glass containers are not allowed on park beaches.

Anyone with information about this glass incident is asked to contact Blake at 231-326-4805 or email at andrew_blake@nps.gov.