Question
QUESTION: We have 2 trees in our new yard , one is some type of maple , the other is something else thats about 75 ft tall.
They and a few others in the general area are dying ,losing branches and bark.
I have photos if I can send them to you .
ANSWER: Send the pictures to [email protected] and I will see if I can ID the problem.

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QUESTION: Thanks , I sent the pictures to you .
The turf surrounding the Maple tree looks like beach sand (if that means anything) .
There is a lot of water in the vicinity because we are down hill from the runoff .
I know a little  basic gardening but absolutelly nothing about trees , we just bought the house and noticed lots of branches fall ing all over the place . Best I can tell from the lower part of the tree .
One big part is rotted and broken  at about 10 feet.

Answer
One is a maple the other looks like maybe a elm or hackberry (without the leaves it is hard using a picture). With the limbs dying it sounds like some sort of root problem, too much water could do this, that has weaken the trees and then a disease called hypoxylon has infected the limbs causing them to die. There is not really much that can be done to control Hypoxylon. Fertilizing the tree will help. I would wait until the trees leaf out and then you can determine how much of the tree is effected. Assuming there is a good portion of the tree still green. Prune the dead limbs and remove the wood from the area. The dead wood will have the fungi spores and could re infect the tree. Fertilize the trees with 13-13-13 at about 2 lbs per inch of tree diameter. Measure around the tree trunk at about 4.5 feet up the trunk and divide this amount by 3.14 and this is the diameter. Be aware that these trees look quite old and trees like people age and depending on the site they live in will start to decline. If you do not have much foliage after the tree leafs out it maybe best to remove the trees and replace them with a younger healthy tree.

I would suggest you also contact the Ct. State Forestry agency and ask one of their Forest Health Foresters to come take a look.  They have an excellent staff and should be able to give you better advice by looking at the trees in person. Their office in New Haven should be able to help or give you the name of someone who can.

CT Agric. Experimental Station P.O. Box 1106123 Huntington Street New Haven, CT 06504-1106  (203) 974-8474