Photos: Lake County marijuana battle

Marijuana plants grow in a vegetable garden in Lake County, which passed strict growing laws recently. Activists are putting a new initiative on the ballot to allow marijuana farming.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Rancher Rob Brown uses binoculars to search his 300-acre property for illegal marijuana plants and growers.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Rancher Rob Brown stands on a high ridge to search his 300-acre property in Kelseyville, Calif., for illegal marijuana plants. He recently found 7,000 marijuana plants protected with booby traps on his property.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Marijuana plants grow in a vegetable garden in Lake County.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Horner, 42, lives among the pines on Boggs Mountain and is trying to preserve the right to grow marijuana in Lake County. His group, the Emerald Unity Coalition, is pushing a marijuana initiative.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Activist Ron Koczenski is trying to get an initiative passed in Lake County to allow marijuana farming.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Weeds grow in the parking lot of an abandoned gas station on the north shore of Clear Lake. The resort area has become run down and suffers high unemployment.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

One of many docks that are falling apart on the north shore of Clear Lake. Local business leaders are trying to revive tourism.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Algae infests a marina that is full of abandoned boats on the north shore of Clear Lake. Many of the docks are falling apart.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Algae infests the water around an abandoned sailboat in a derelict marina on the north shore of Clear Lake.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The sun sets on the north shore of Clear Lake in Lucerne, Calif. Once a resort area, the region around Clear Lake has become dilapidated and suffers from high unemployment.   (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)