JAY — The town has received nearly $46,000 so far from wood harvested from the recreation lot behind the schools, forester Steve Gettle said.

About 42 acres of the town’s 193-acre property has been harvested by L & A Ridley Inc. of Jay, Gettle told selectmen Monday. About 150 acres of the lot is harvestable.

Gettle gave an update to the board and the plan to continue harvesting the property. Ridley was the highest bidder of several Jay logging companies.

The money from the wood harvest will go into an account for recreation projects or services in the town. Board Chairman Steve McCourt clarified that Head Start rental payments do not go into the account as previously stated, only cell tower lease proceeds and other designated recreation funds do.

Gettle explained that some wood prices are less than when the project was bid and some are more.

“It looks like it is going to come in near bid,” McCourt said.

“I think you are doing well,” Gettle said.

If prices stay steady, Gettle said, he believes that the town could make more money than originally anticipated.

Gettle of Jay gets paid a percentage of the proceeds to manage the town’s wood lots.

Ridley plans to continue cutting until Thanksgiving Day and then move to other lots he needs to do, Gettle said. He will return to the rec lot when he is done.

In February, the company will begin cutting wood near the schools to make sure the wood is harvested off the lot prior to Jay and Regional School Unit 36 schools consolidating, if the vote passes on Jan. 25, 2011, he said. The new school system would start July 1, 2011, if approved.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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