We haven't had a drought problem, but oaks are killed like weeds around this area. I'm not a tree hugger, but I do love nature, and know that a 100 year-old tree takes 100 years to replace (and likely never will).
But to change the subject slightly, have y'all ever read up on the American Chestnut Trees? They used to be a prominent hardwood in North America until decimated by blight in the early 1900's. Some day I plan to get a bag of seeds and plant some "groves" on public lands in hopes to bring them back (to some extent) in this area. Probably illegal, but not worried about getting caught...