Competitive timber cutting bids on Vilas County forest lands opened and approved last Wednesday by the county forestry committee were almost double bids from last year going from $478,500 in 2017 to $844,400 this year.
A dozen companies submitted bids on 17 tracts totalling 937 acres with seven different companies being successful high bidders on specific tracts.
Tracts ranged from a high of 142 acres receiving a high bid of $105,200 to a low of 16 acres with a high bid of $15,330.
The highest bid, $172,090 was received from Connor Forest Products on an 89 acre tract composed of red oak, sugar maple, and mixed hardwoods.
Management of the Vilas County forest timber resources are third-party certified, a requirement of most markets loggers sell to.
