Spring timber sale bids were opened by the Vilas County Forestry, Recreation & Land committee with high bids totaling $318,823 on 10 timber tracts ranging from a low of $2,962 on a small tract to a high of $96,850 on the largest tract.
The largest tract had five bids ranging from a high of $96,850 submitted by Wiitala & Vozka to a low of $17,484 from Futurewood.
The ten tracts cover 512 acres or 1.15% of the county forest and include 29,111 tons or about 13,800 cords. The largest volume to be cut is aspen at 7,220 tons followed by red pine, 5,980 tons and jack pine at 4,780 tons.
May timber revenue was $32,243 bring the year’s total to $265,955. Vilas County has gone to a three-year sale contract from two years with forest administrator Al Murray indicating he “felt the three
year contract has increased companies interested in bidding” since the county last year had a number of two-year sales with no bids.
Murray indicated spring planting of jack pine totaled 78,000 trees between May 14-18 by contracted personnel. Planting was off E. Hunter Lake Road, County S, and Snipe Lake Fire Lane.
A 15-acre prescribed burn was completed by DNR staff off Pioneer Creek Road on May 11. Murray indicated this low intensity fire results will be documented in data and photos but he was satisfied that “fire has returned to management of the forest.”
