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Remove Oak to Save Foundation (WI)

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From: janice gries City: Paddock lake, WI
I have a very old 50 to 100 year oak, about 3 ft in diameter trunk, hanging way over my house. The whole tree is bent over the house. The trunk is 1 ft from my foundation. I had a landscape person out to help with drainage management because my house is on a lake and is shifting into the lake. The expert suggested cutting down the tree because he said the root system is moving the foundation. Someone else said if I cut the tree down and the root system dies, that would be worse for the foundation. What do you suggest?
	Extension Message From: Jay Hayek Extension Specialist, Forestry Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences jhayek@illinois.edu
Hi Janice: Unfortunately, I cannot, in good faith, provide you with good advice due to the simple fact that I have not seen your home, the foundation, or the tree in question. Therefore, you will need to rely on the expert advice of a certified arborist who is licensed and bonded in your home state of Wisconsin. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance, however, there are some questions that simply cannot be answered via this forum -- your's happens to be one of them.
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