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Date: September 2, 2009

An old White Oak tree growing along West Confederate Avenue within Gettysburg National Military Park must be removed for safety reasons according to National Park Service officials.

"The tree classifies as a witness tree, meaning it’s at least 147 years old. It’s leaning over a private home and its root system is failing with the tree beginning to lift out of the ground," said Katie Lawhon, Management Assistant at Gettysburg National Military Park. "The tree shows great potential for failure especially during a significant storm or extremely wet soils due to the size of the tree and the weight distribution of the canopy with the heavy lean towards the house."

Park staff looked at the tree in preparation for a waterline replacement project along West Confederate Avenue and determined that the tree should be removed for safety reasons. A contractor will begin removing the tree later today. The wood will be donated to the Gettysburg Foundation for use in fundraising efforts for battlefield preservation projects.

Gettysburg National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service that preserves and protects the resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers' National Cemetery, and provides an understanding of the events that occurred there within the context of American History. Information is available at www.nps.gov/gett.