How The Boy Scouts contributed to a major Environmental Disaster when Pine Creek Flooded in 2014 during Hurricane Ivan

The Best of Intentions lead to the Worst Decision.

How The BSA thought it was doing something good but in 2004 caused a Major Disaster when Ivan the Terrible came calling.

Around 30 + years ago in North Park one of the Allegheny County system of parks located in South Western Pa.

A group of scouts from the Silver Tip District held a Stream/Environment Improvement Camporee weekend . Camped appropriately next to a new Waste Transfer Station to help the environment In an effort to improve the condition of a well known Trout stream called Pine Creek which runs thru the park and all the way to the Allegheny River in Etna Pa.

The scouts under the direction of a Pa. Fish Commissioner and local Sportsman Assoc. from Allison Park Twp area with help from the local Navy Reserve Construction Battalion who brought in heavy operating equipment. got to work to help save the stream and make it better for fishing. So we thought.

One of the first areas to receive attention was behind a privately owned Babcock Swimming pool along the creek where the North Park Lake Spill way empties into the creek the whole area along this section of the creek was eroded and needed rebuilt it was decide to build a massive 100 plus foot wall 6 foot high with truck and car tires filled with rocks which provided a formidable barrier and did stop the erosion.

This was also done in several other areas along the creek as well. The tire walls worked where cheap and held back the hill sides and stopped the erosion. Only one problem no one thought thru what they where doing. Tires float and this was before all the environmental regulations of streams where in place. Today the scouts would have been forbidden from doing it.

Well for almost 30 years these walls held solid and caused no problems. But then in 2004 a Tropical storm which grew in to a horrendous Hurricane Ivan came up the East Coast and it visited the Western Pa. area bringing with it massive flooding in some areas worse than what was seen in 1936 during the St. Patrick Days flood. Pine Creek was decimated

Dozens of homes and business where badly flooded some so bad they where condemned.

Several Millions in damage,

And one of the big reasons why Pine Creek flooded so badly was because of all the thousands of tire used to make walls which broke loose and formed dams blocking the water.

There where plenty of township and state officials extremely mad about who put those tires in the creek all those years ago. Because it took big bucks to get them all rounded up taken out and properly disposed of. But is seems everyone has selective memory and no one dare point the finger at a Fish Commissioner who was a scoutmaster and who has since passed away or the Boy Scouts or the Sportsman assoc. whose insurance should have paid for this as they have activities insurance should they cause harm to a property. In fact no one wants to talk about what how and why to prevent some thing like this from ever happening again and yes it will happen.

But since the Boy Scouts can do no wrong and no one was willing to file actions or investigate a wrong has been allowed to go on.With no apology or review. So tell what exactly does the scout oath stand for.

Everyone is like well we did not know and there where no regulations and all the other bull crap that goes with it. But I know what happened and now you do.

How one of the founders of BSA and Carrick resident was disprespected By a Local Council

John M. Phillips along with William Boyce both men from the Pittsburgh Pa. area where instrumental in starting the scouting program in the United states and both knew Baden Powell who started the Boy Scouts in the UK
and while the name Boyce is prominently remembered John M. Philips has been totally disrespected and forgotten. But why?

http://wiki.carrick-overbrook.org/John_M._Phillips

So who is John M. Phillips

He was a prominent Pittsburgh Industrialist involved in the manufacture of coal mining machinery and was one of the country's first recognized Conservationists who would go on to form the Pa. Game commission which has been the model of such programs and followed by almost all states in there managing of wildlife

He lived in Carrick Pa. which is now part of the City of Pittsburgh being its 29th ward.

Carrick always was a rough and tumble town your father either worked for the city of Pittsburgh as fire/police/garbage man etc. or they worked in one of the many Steel mills in Pittsburgh area or they where a local tradesman or business man.

Mr. Phillips very much loved the natural outdoors and became so concerned by it he looked to local youth to help save the states many natural resources including its trees, which Mr. Phillips spent many thousands of his own money having scouts plant trees all over Pa. including chestnut trees which where almost totally destroyed due to over use in wagon wheel axles.

He started the first scout troop in Carrick which at one time had several and now has none his original troop 1 was renumbered and still exists in neighboring Brentwood Pa. the original council name for the area Allegheny was changed in the 1950's to Allegheny trails council and after several mergers is now called Greater Pittsburgh Council and the local district which was part of his original troop was called " Silver Tip " his Indian name given to him by western Indians he made friends with while hunting out west. But it is my understanding silver Tip district is no more its name being changed.

I found out about Mr. Phillips thru the late Russel Beaver a Scoutmaster and silver tip committeeman and Silver Beaver recipient who lived by his home and knew him and he lead me on a life long journey of research on him as part of my Overall eagle scout Project on the history of Carrick a History I would find out some did not want known and written.

Mr. Beaver said to me there should be a Statue of Mr. Phillips for all he has done at Phillips park in Carrick which is named after him and though at the time of my Eagle scout Project I could not get any traction or help in doing so I did file to get him a state historical plaque in 1976 and finally thru the efforts of myself and a new group of residents who helped form the Carrick-Overbrook historical society in 2010 It was finally done and a stat historical plague sits where his home once did. But no thanks to the Boy Scouts of America and the Greater Pittsburgh council now known as Laurel highlands council   who would not help in any way or manner celebrate there founder. One of the few Silver Buffalo recipient

They where asked several times to help confirm research we had done so we could file for the state marker saying he was instrumental in starting the Boy Scouts they refused to help and even after the marker was approved refused to send a representative from council. or a Order of the Arrow dance team exhibit there dance skills as a tribute due to Mr. Phillips strong Indian ties and refused to help us find and locate his Indian outfit to display at the ceremony . I saw the outfit in 1977 at Camp Guyasuta and it has since disapeared on purpose.

Luckily we found out the Brentwood troop still existed and they came and did a flag ceremony and they helped fill in some of the holes in our research , but we never got any cooperation at all from council. But the state Game commission that was a whole different matter 2 local Game Wardens came and gave a state proclamation and gave a short speech on Mr. Phillips and answered the crowds questions about him and the commission . There are several state plaques on game commission lands in honor of Mr. Philips . But not one mention of him in history of scouting and his part. But why?

This I will explore in part 2 and it will shock you.