Independence Lake changes not sitting well with users
By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal
For nearly a century, Kenny Osburn’s family camped, fished and played at scenic Independence Lake.
Now, Osburn said, they can no longer do as they wish at a treasured place.
After a $15 million transaction put land around the lake under the ownership of The Nature Conservancy, Osburn and other long-time users are chafing over changes — chief among them the conservancy’s prohibition of motorized boats on the lake.
“Our biggest focus is overregulation,” said Osburn, 40. “The people that have been using that lake for generations have the most at stake.”