Ossipee Lake Natural Area

A bit of good news about the Natural Area belies concerns about the lack of boater compliance.

As they do every year, volunteers from the lake's boating community picked up litter and winter debris from the public section of the state preserve's shoreline.

The situation at Ossipee Lake Natural Area was once so dire that the only options appeared to be to let it die or ban all rafting at the site. Instead, the state took a chance that recreation and preservation could coexist. Ten years later, its bet has paid off.