Here is a look at the beast.

Would need to see any nuts in place to get an ID. Where are you located? It may just be a native species, in which case that growth habit is extremely typical. These are suckering, multi-stemmed shrubs, not really trees. While the fruits of both North American species are edible, they are seldom grown solely for this purpose and in fact, are seldom used in a cultivated landscape. This is more a native, wildlife attracting plant, common to the edges of woodlands and used as windbreaks or in hedgerows.

We are located in Salem Oregon

I apologize for multiple responses. I’m still getting the hang of this app. If there are any nuts left they’re hidden in the canopy where I can’t see them.

So far it looks more like an orchard filbert to me and not much like a California hazel. At any rate no heavy pruning back is called for and if undertaken will not improve the ability of the plant to produce - rather than "overly neglected" it looks quite typical for these plants. Both in size and structure.

I think that I can see one nut right of center and about half way up in the pic, if it is one it looks quite large

It's healthy already. It's probably been coppiced in the past, hence the multiple rods. They're very useful around the garden if you want to take a few out. I'm not seeing any nuts in the pictures.

Gardengal48: we actually got a pretty decent amount of nuts about a month and a half ago but we never even had a chance between the squirrels and birds. There are a few other hazelnuts nearby in the neighborhood so it’s not exactly on its own.

Floral_uk: how exactly would one go about using a rod in the garden?

Everyone else: thank you so much for your comments!

The nuts - in their husks - are the best identifying features. Commerical orchard trees have big nuts; the native species are much smaller.. And western hazels, Corylus cornuta, have long, distinctive extensions of the husks, giving rise to the common name of "beaked" hazels.

Use hazel rods for anything you'd use a bamboo or other poles for. Bean poles, plant stakes, tomato tripods, posts for holding up protective netting, fence posts for temporary fences, trellis, wattle fences .... and the twiggy growth at the top of the poles makes support for floppy perennials and traditional pea sticks. Thinner rods can be bent into arches and edgings. All for free and all biodegradable.