AUBURN – The city should make some of its public wood available to heat local homes this winter, Mayor John Jenkins said Monday.

The city could hire a forester to remove wood from six city lots with more than 460 acres of woods. The wood taken from those areas could be made available to residents at a discount.

“This is a continuation of the discussion we started earlier this year, trying to provide heating oil for our residents,” Jenkins said Monday. “We’ve talked about oil so far, but there are other options available, and heating with wood is one of those.”

Councilors didn’t take any action, however Jenkins said he would bring the matter up again when he had more information.

Jenkins said that thinning out some of the dry wood could also make the lots more healthy. Areas being considered are:

• 326 acres in the Mt. Apatite park, off Perkins Ridge and Garfield roads.

• 46 acres east of Trapp Road, near the New Gloucester town line.

• 35 acres around Sherwood Heights Elementary School.

• 17 acres east of Broad Street south of Mill Street.

• 19 acres around Edward Little High School

• 18 acres around the East Auburn Community School.

Councilors would have to decide how the cut firewood should be distributed, he said.

The state of Vermont launched a similar program last week. And the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands lets individuals harvest firewood from state forests for their own use. The wood costs $25 per cord, and is open to those with a chain saw and pickup truck.