Pushing 50 years in age, federal officials know work is needed.

They also know recreation has changed since the 1960s.

Some sites will be upgraded. Some will be maintained. Others may be discontinued.

But that’s 10 steps down the road.

Currently, the ANF has established a recreation site analysis tool — which can be found at https://bit.ly/3hmBVRw — that provides a platform for anyone to make comments on the 65 or so sites on the ANF.

The tool details suggestions for the future for some sites. The comments — with names redacted — are also all there to be reviewed by anyone that’s interested.

The site will be available through Sept. 10 for comments.

Rich Hatfield, Bradford District Ranger, said there are about a dozen that the forest is “going to have to start making some decisions on.”

He cautioned that the proposal details on the tool are really “an option, not even a proposal per say.”

He specifically addressed the situation at Dewdrop, Kinzua Beach and the Kinzua Point Information Center.

At Dewdrop, he said the shower building is in need of replacement. The site says the proposal, or option, is to “lower the level of service” by demolition of the shower building and replacing the flush toilets with vault toilets.

Comments received on that proposal largely skewer that suggestion.

Hatfield said getting that feedback is “exactly the point” to the whole process. “(I) got the feedback I was looking for.”

While he said whatever is decided at Dewdrop is a “big project” and “years away (from) anything coming to fruition, this is sort of a first step.”

Kinzua Beach is also one of the sites that comes with a proposal likely to catch some resistance. The site says the proposal, or option, is to “demolish the visitor building at Kinzua Beach and install new vault toilets at the location.”

“It’s kind of tough,” Hatfield said. “What are we going to do there?”

He cautioned that he’s “not sure what it is that we need there” and said Warren County officials are looking into a marketing plan for that area.

“(I’m) really excited about the interest Warren County has taken on some of these marquee sites,” Hatfield said.

The suggestion options for Kinzua Point are more nebulous and range from “reinvestment in a new building to demolition.”

Hatfield said there is a “deferred maintenance bill coming due” at KPIC.

No specific proposals were listed for several sites, most notably places like Bucklaloons, Rocky Gap, Red Bridge, Jakes Rocks, Elijah, Webbs Ferry and the Wolf Run Marina.

The site notes that “revitalization of the Kiasutha Recreation Area is underway” which includes “replacement/modernizing of nearly all the structures in the campground and day use area.”

At Morrison, “the Forest Service is continuing to update and expand this trail system, including connecting the trails to Kinzua Beach. We are also looking at the trail system (and the Rimrock Road) for groomed fat bike and/or cross-country skiing opportunities.”

The proposal for Hearts Content suggested the possibility of demolishing the pavilion at the day use area.

Once the comment period closes, he said the Forest Service will “take a look at all the comments and (you will) start to see stuff roll out from there.”

He speculated Dewdrop would likely be first.

“This is a first shot at getting some public input,” Hatfield said. “It’s pretty open ended. We’re not hearing about stuff we don’t need anymore” as most comments, he said, have focused on maintaining sites or improving them.

“People are passionate about these rec sites,” he added. “We’re getting a lot of hits on that.