Excellent question Joe! In fact, I receive this question several times a month, so I am glad I have the opportunity to answer it via the Ask the Forester forum.
First of all, most yard trees produce very little quality lumber because they generally lack good form, contain little merchantable log length, are often hollow, and have numerous defects. Secondly, felling or removing large trees on small urban lots poses a significant liability for whoever removes the tree. Remember, we live in an overly litigious society. However, it never hurts to ask whether an individual is willing to barter with you!
Therefore, you essentially you have four options (1) contact your local DNR District Forester http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/forestry/DISTFRSTMAP.pdf to see if they can provide you with a list of local portable sawmill owners who may be willing to utilize your two white oak trees (2) contact a portable sawmill owner via the Department of Natural Resources Sawmill Directory http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/forestry/05/sawmills2005.pdf (3) if you cannot find anyone willing to remove your trees for free, then your only other option is to contact a local certified arborist or tree care specialist – check your local yellow pages or utilize the following website http://www.isa-arbor.com/findArborist/findarborist.aspx or (4) place an advertisement in your local newspaper.
Good luck!
