If interested, see responses in other thread: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/trees/msg012119397404.html?7 Here is a link that might be useful: other thread w/ responses

scotjute, thank you. I've been reading, and it seems that if there are no branches, which now there are not in that area, they will not re-grow, so you seem to be correct. I bet you are also correct in that over time, this would be less noticeable as the other branches get longer... I will look for a replacement tree. That said, I will give this a guy a chance to stand alone somewhere else on the land, just to see how he does...

The answer raises another question....if you plan on planting something else in their place you'll have to remove them. Maybe not every speck, but the lions share. Then add some top soil to repair your grade and make sure rain water sheds away from the foundation. Al

Lavender: Some folks did mention that we had a deep freeze during that time. I don't think it fell to negative, but with the wind chills it is possible. Yes. Both experts who looked at my trees had somewhat differing opinions. In the end, I assumed that all of what they said were possibilities, and tried to address pretty much all of it by casting a wide net. Progress update: I did extensive pruning for Canker, just as suggested by arborists. Cut back about 3-4 inches on the main trunk. Removed all the branches with die back. Removed the crispy foliage. Immediately picked up all branches, dead foliage flakes, and debris and disposed of it. 2-3 days after, on a dry day with no rain on the forecast, they came and sprayed it with antifungal spray. Then again 2 months later had them come out and do another antifungal spray. The spray is for blight; not canker. Boy, do they look short and bare at this point. Most of them lost 3-6 years of growth, assuming there is average 1 foot growth per year. Yay, sort of defeats buying them at the large size...but it is what it is...you just make the best of it and move on. I gave slow release fertilizer evergreen stakes in mid spring and gave again recently in mid fall. About 2 or 3 stakes about 2.5-3 feet apart, and about 2 feet from trunk base. Through the summer, got some decent rains on and off. Not really a drought. Thank god. Every now and then, a few small branches would die and I would prune immediately (also when pruning, you have to dip pruning tool in bleached water to sterilize in between each cut...that's a lot of dipping I tell you). One of the totally healthy appearing trees suddenly had sudden onset die back within 1 week at the top (like most of the others before), and had to prune off about 3 feet off main trunk. Also, about half of the trees have noticeable prominent cracking/tearing in their main trunk. Not just on the bark, but appears to run deeper into the body of the trunk. Current feelings are mixed on the progress: Positive: The die back appears to have slowed down pretty good. The foliage is filling in nicely. Few inches vertical growth since March/April extensive pruning. It appears, the trees that I had to cut few feet off, have selected leaders, and those leaders are showing rapid new healthy growth. Negative: The prominent cracking/tearing in the main trunk is something that was not there before. I have a bad feeling these cracks will progress and eventually hit a critical point and those trees with totally die. On a side note, Taylor junipers are supposed to be pretty good substitutes...if these cypresses indeed fail.