Georgia Power removes 300-year-old live oak
By Graham Cawthon, Grace Rodriguez
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SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — Georgia Power has removed a roughly 300-year-old live oak along Little Neck Road after weeks of public attention and community efforts to protect the tree.
In a statement, the utility said it “explored all options” but determined the tree had to come down to complete an expansion and upgrade of the Little Ogeechee–Big Ogeechee transmission line, a nearly 5-mile project along Little Neck Road. The company said the work is needed to maintain reliability for existing customers and to meet new growth, and that delays could increase the risk of outages during peak summer heat.
“We appreciate the important cultural and historical significance of Savannah’s live oaks,” said William Mock, Georgia Power’s Savannah-based region executive. Mock said the company’s priority is “maintaining reliable and affordable electric service to thousands of customers in Savannah.”
Georgia Power said the selected route complies with federal safety and reliability regulations and is the “least impactful” overall, allowing the company to avoid wetlands and a cemetery and to prevent removing “hundreds of additional trees” across an estimated 17 or more acres.
The company said the live oak was on private property, not in a public park or historically designated area, and that it had negotiated an additional easement with the property owners more than a year ago that included permission to trim or remove the tree.
Chatham County arborists evaluated the live oak and said it met criteria for an “Exceptional Tree,” a designation that treats it as a public landmark and provides protections under the county’s Land Disturbing Activities ordinance.
Georgia Power said that despite the designation, it has authority under state law to manage vegetation in its right of way as needed to provide reliable service, and that no further action was required to proceed.
The tree had become a rallying point for residents, including property owner Allen Grizzard, whose family said it had owned the land for 98 years. Supporters had gathered for events near the tree, shared posts on social media and discussed efforts to preserve it.
“We truly regret that we have to remove this tree,” Mock said, adding, “There simply is no other option.”
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