60% of that leaf is doing its job ... i am NEVER concerned about a little cosmetic damage to leaves ... its simply is .. not often.. a problem worth spending money.. nor using chemicals on ... once you ID such.. call your county extension of AG office.. and find out the status and find out if there is any current plague in your area ... maybe i would change my mind .. based on the local experts .... ken

It looks like sprouts coming up from a stump, but a better picture would make ID much easier.

i see why they are there .. being invasive.. i would get rid of them ... but i would make it a multi year project ... starting at one end [or both ends] .. and planting something different ... while leaving the rest... to maintain some semblance of a screen ... and then.. each year.. removing another ... or just do it all at once.. and be done with it ... ken

I agree with Logan that a Norway Spruce would be more attractive...in about 15 years. Then a few years down the road it would outgrow the spot. It's not what I would have put in that spot...but that is always the dilemma. The trees the previous owners planted may not be what you would have chosen, but age and size give them a majesty that nothing you plant will have for a couple decades at least. If everyone gets rid of the older trees that aren't perfect as soon as they move in, then a few years later sells the place to someone who does the same thing, you are left with nothing but twee shrubs. (And I *HATE* shrubs). If you wanted to limb the tree up to let in more light I might be with you, but I don't think it will make maintenance easier. Are bark beetles, wind, ice storms, or really big snow loads a problem in your area? If so, limbing the tree up could put it's health in danger. Otherwise it is an aesthetic choice. (Red and Austrian pine are vulnerable to bark beetles that can be attracted to pruning injuries, having lower branches that go to the ground can help a tree support the weight of snow, both regional problems.)