JAY – Town officials voted to accept the Recreation Committee’s goals for the Jay Recreation Area on Tuesday night.

Rob Taylor said the committee met with representatives of Timber Resource, which is working to develop a forest management plan for the town’s wooded lands that would incorporate goals set out for the recreation area.

Taylor said many students were involved in brainstorming ideas and developing the goals.

The committee is looking to maintain some things and have existing trails improved and activities developed. There is some timber that is rotting and needs to be cut, and one area needs some extensive cutting, Taylor said.

The town plans to pay for the forest management plan with timber-cutting proceeds.

The company and its representative are aware “we want a well-managed woodland,” Town Manager Ruth Marden told selectmen.

Selectman Steve McCourt said he hoped to see a local master logger get the job of harvesting the recreation land.

Dale Robinson, a representative of Timber Resource, said he will choose the company that would use the appropriate harvest method based on the equipment mix needed for the job. Once the management plan is developed it would be brought back to the board for review.

Taylor said the multiuse trail system would be mapped and named. There would also be a demonstration area that would show different cutting techniques, including a small clear-cut and a selective cut area. They would also like to have an amphitheater for educational programs, Taylor said.

There is already a Project Adventure course and a small student-built cabin on the recreation land located behind the high school that they want to have maintained and refurbished, he said.

Selectman Rick Simoneau asked if Taylor would like to see more people involved in helping with the project.

It’s difficult just getting the committee there, Taylor said, but the more people helping the better the project would turn out.

Selectman Amy Pineau Gould said it looks like the committee did a lot of good work on the project.

The committee’s overall harvesting goal is to manage the property in a way that would provide funds for recreation in the town of Jay while maintaining the property’s attributes.

The development goals for the recreation area are:

• multiuse trail system named, marked, and mapped;

• exercise course;

• cross-country skiing/snowshoe trails;

• mountain bike/BMX trails;

• self-guided nature walk;

• pet exercise area;

• snowmobile trails with access to power line and wide enough for grooming;

• cutting technique demo area (clear-cut, selective cut, unmanaged, etc.);

• wildlife observation hut or town near clear-cut area;

• amphitheatre;

• development of field area, sledding/snow tube hill, picnic areas; and

• Project Adventure Course, improve course, relocate and rebuild cabin.