Budget Cuts Limit Coast Guard Patrols on Lake Hopatcong

The Coast Guard Auxiliary's Lake Hopatcong Flotilla 10-07 meeting at the Civic Center Wednesday night was a relatively short, laid-back affair. The primary concern?

Budget cuts, which have limited the number of patrols Flotilla 10-07 will conduct on Lake Hopatcong. Patrols have been cut down to Saturdays and Sundays, due to funding issues.

Larry Orlans, an operations officer, inquired about using some of the flotilla's budget to fund Friday night patrols.

Flotilla Commander Chris Scarlata said that patrol expenses wouldn't be hard to cover, but the ability to have insurance on the patrols is the only potential hold-up.

"The whole issue is to serve the public," he said. "If we can't get insurance coverage, we can't go out."

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian branch of the Coast Guard, and is made up of volunteers. Flotilla 10-07—which covers Lake Hopatcong—is part of Division 10, a CGA division responsible for the Hackensack, Passaic and Hudson rivers, in addition to Greenwood Lake and Lake Hopatcong.

One of Flotilla 10-07's main priorities is to teach boat safety. It holds free vessel safety checks to ensure all boats meet federal requirements. CGA flotillas typically use private boats that have been outfitted according to Coast Guard specifications. Orlans' boat is Flotilla 10-7's main vessel.