JAY — Selectmen voted Monday to award the contract to harvest the town’s recreation lot behind the high school to L & A Ridley of Jay. The logging company’s bid provided the town with the most money for the wood.

Selectmen made their decision after forester Steve Gettle walked them through the amount of each species to be cut, the projected prices and specifics of the harvesting project.

The company is required to provide three forest demonstration areas of different styles of harvesting practices and also needs to work around people using the land this winter.

The overall plan for the approximately 200 acre parcel is to create a multi-trail system that includes educational activities and programs. The town’s Recreation Committee, led by teacher and resident Rob Taylor, has set goals for the land with selectmen’s approval.

Ridley’s estimate is $133,789.25.

About 27 letters went to prospective bidders, Gettle said, with four bids submitted. Contractors either had to be residents of Jay or own land in the town.

Other bids were from Jim Peterson, $79,845; Jean Castonguay Logging, $93,648.50; and George Merrill & Son, $82,962.50.

The money from the harvest is targeted to go to recreation purposes and not into the town’s general fund, Gettle said.

The amount of money estimated in the bid is not guaranteed due to fluctuating prices of wood, which is low at this time. Prices could go up or drop lower, he said.

However, George Merrill’s company did come in close to its bid of $148,000 when it cut the gravel pit lot, Gettle said. It was about $2,000 less than estimated.

The contractors knew when bidding that this “lot is primo. It has to be perfect,” Gettle said. “People are going to be using it. I think we were very fortunate to get the prices we did.”

Board Chairman Steve McCourt asked about Ridley not finishing the transfer station. That company had the bid for that lot.

Gettle said Ridley intends to finish the lot once the prices for spruce wood come up. That is the only species left to be cut, he said, and it wouldn’t be to the town’s benefit to have that wood cut at this time because of that reason.

The plan is to have the recreation lot done by the end of 2010, but that depends on weather, Gettle said.

Both selectmen and Town Manager Ruth Marden commended Merrill with doing a wonderful job on the gravel lot and having paperwork and payments to the town submitted in a timely fashion.

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