A Very Reluctant Removal of the Oak Tree

With heavy hearts and having looked closely at the options, the property committee has determined the second of our two large oak trees on the front lawn will need to come down. The root of the problem is a fungus at the tree base which is weakening the whole trunk and causing the dead branches at the top. Because the tree is leaning towards the road with the large branches magnifying the strain on the weakening trunk, we cannot take the risk of having the tree come down in a storm. We have discussed this extensively with Elite Tree Care who will be doing the removal. The only alternative was to spend several thousand dollars to test the trunk, do a very heavy prune if feasible, and then have to spend the full rate on top of that to remove the tree when it dies. Given the nearness of the tree to the road, it’s terminal condition and the money involved to keep it in a reduced state for a couple of years or so, we decided that removal was the best option. As with the case of the other oak that had to be removed last year, a new tree will be replanted.

– Andrew Harding – Property Committee, Chair