Question
My parents have a pine tree they planted some 45 years ago that is now 35 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide. It is shaped more like a maple tree than a tall pine tree.They live in West Seattle, Wa.  I think it is a poderosa pine with long needles.
Starting this summer the needles started to turn brown and now are 75% gone as of the wind storm this week. Seems like it is dying so fast. My father does do quite a bit of watering...lots of watering in the summer. What can be done to save the tree that is used to block an unsightly, and unkept home and land across the street. My father will not survive if this tree dies. The front yard is his pride.  Any chance the tree was poisoned? It happened so fast. The tree does block the view of Puget Sound if you are traveling west on his street.  Please help.

Answer
This could be a disease of the needles or it could be herbicide damage. This question can not be answered with out looking at the tree and the area it is growing in. I would recommend that you contact the State of Washington forestry agency and ask one of their Forester to come take a look. Their contact information is
Urban & Community Forestry Program Coordinator
WA Dept. of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 47037, Olympia, WA 98504-7037.
Phone: (360) 902-1703 or 1-800-523-8733(TREE)
FAX: (360) 902-1757.
E-mail: [email protected].