I planted a riparian buffer project for CRP years ago and actually did tree tube testing for the state. Well too many survived and they needed spacing.I was like you though and hated to cut a 5- 10 year old tree.So in the area I could get a truck to I got a deal from a tree company with a 72inch I believe spade and I had him move around 10 trees and create another area of oaks.Now on the other side of creek that i couldn't get a truck to I had to cut down the worse of the best sawtooths to give some room.I actually just cut and let them lay where they fell.I got a heck of a discount because they could work on my sandy soil and it was real wet that year so they couldn't work on black dirt.I think all but 1 is still alive. If you can get a spade in there it looks like some of those are small enough to move.
