Well you can blame this one on the .GOV, Utilities companies are now held resopnsible for down powerlines. They can be fined "by the day" for any disruption in service regardless of reason. So any vegetation that could possibly fall and distrupt transmission are being cut down or trimmed back.
Red Oaks are a very short lived tree 90-150 years at most. 20-24" trees at breast height (4.5' above highest ground level) are definately good size trees, but not uncommon.
Value depends on how much clear wood is in the tree, i.e. how may 16 foot sections without signifiant limbs. Chances are two trees, as far as timber value, wouldnt be worth more than $200 and thats being generous. Now their intrinsic value can be infinite but there is no way to quantify that.
We often do damage appraislals and the land owners are always disappointed when they find out how much the timber isn't worth, and then they have to pay our fee for the work which is $65/hr. We had a client call that had 15acres clear cut, intentionally, by the neighbor and the total value of timber was estimated at $10,000 and that was over 150 trees. No way $10,000 would replace their timber as far as asthetics and intrinsic qualities, but thats all there is to go by. Its a raw deal anyway you shake it