Southern Utah teen works to rebuild Pine Valley dock following fire last summer

PINE VALLEY, Washington County — Boston Thiriot's family has called Pine Valley home for six generations. So, when it came time for him to decide on his Eagle Project, he knew that he wanted to help restore the area that was ravaged by the Forsyth Fire last summer.

The 17-year-old junior at Dixie High School is helping rebuild the fishing dock at Pine Valley Reservoir for his Eagle Scout Project as a member of the Ivins troop 407. Boston grew up fishing at Pine Valley with his family, adding that when the fire burned 30 miles of the area last June, he was concerned it would never be the same again.

"I was really worried because when I heard about the fire and that it was really big, I was kind of scared because Pine Valley has always been a beautiful place," Boston told KSL. "I was scared that it wouldn't be able to be the same place after the fire."

He spoke about the generations before him who settled the area. In fact, his family was among the first to plant Balm of Gilead trees that stand near the Pine Valley trailhead. Those trees were also affected by the fire.

"My great-grandpa, great-great-grandpa, and their wives were all buried here," Boston said. "It's been really fun to be able to grow up knowing my family has been a big part of this land."

Taking care of the land and making sure that others can enjoy it, too, has been something Boston's family has been very active in. In fact, his older brother, Bracken Thiriot, recently completed his Eagle project by building a bridge over the spill bed.

Another family tradition that holds strong in Boston's family is getting an Eagle Scout award.

"I'm the oldest of six brothers, and each one of us received our Eagle Scout, and our oldest son, Bracken, earned his Eagle," Boston's dad, Bryan Thiriot, said.

Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank in the Scouting America program, and roughly just 4% of scouts achieve it. In order to earn the rank of Eagle, scouts need to go through years of extensive training in leadership, scouting and survival skills, and provide community service. Scouts must also earn at least 21 merit badges leading up to a final service project, which must be completed before age 18.

"It's going to be really good for the community to get this dock built because it will allow more access to fishing," Boston said. "With a lot of time and effort, it's slowly being built back up."

Time and effort are exactly what Boston has been putting into repairing the fishing dock. With some help from the Dixie National Forest Service, the St. George Rotary Club and donations from community members, the teen is several steps closer to meeting his goal.

"The Forest Service has helped out a lot in this project," Boston said. "They've helped me know what materials are needed and how much money we'll need to raise. They've been a huge part in building this dock."

The dock will cost around $10,000 to build and will be built on June 10, which is almost exactly a year after the Forsyth Fire broke out.

A GoFundMe* has been set up to accept donations for the project, and Boston said he's really excited for people to be able to enjoy the area again.

"Growing up here has been very special to me," he said. "It will be really nice to come out here and fish again and be able to spend time with family and to let other people have that experience.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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