are you afraid of it.. get some close up shots... not in brilliant sun ...

first we need to ID .. then compare that to where you are .. and then go from there ...

my guess is juniper.. and one of the various disease that threaten such ..

and i hope that the rest arent Js ... this would be a perfect example of the downside of planting a monoculture ...

with that big tree back there.. and the power lines.. lightening odds were very low ...

ken

These are all the same trees. They were here when we purchased the property. I am actually thinking it may ba a beetle infestation and we lose them all.

Agree with David. These are Leyland cypress suffering from one or more the several fungal issues that affect them in many parts of the eastern half of the country. Unfortunately, there's not a lot one can do about it once the trees become infected. And they will eventually all look like this.

I am located in North Carolina.

If we have them removed, what would the possible outcome be for replanting new ones? We like the privacy these gave us.

The fungus will probably remain in the soil, you should choose some other kind of hedge

But hey, they're on sale at Moe's Kuntry Tree Farm! $5 a foot! Yee haw! Get 'em while ya can!

(there is actually a place on Rt. 10 in Lancaster Co. PA, that sells them by the foot, and yes, even after many fully mature ones in landscapes looked like cr-p after the prior 2 winters there. I did not go below 0F but most anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon and west of the Blue Route did.)

"If we have them removed, what would the possible outcome be for replanting new ones?"

This post is not an endorsement of this nursery, other than for offering far better hedging choices for most of the eastern US than leylandiis.

http://www.evergreenplantnursery.com/Holly-Ilex-Trees-Shrubs-s/8.htm

'Wirt L Winn' will take a bit longer to grow to screening height, but will prove much more durable.

Unless it is some sort of root rot - also a possibility with leylands - the fungus is unlikely to remain in the soil but that does not negate the potential for any replanting of leylands in that location to contract a similar fungal disease. The trees just tend to be extremely prone to these problems in your area.

A different plant type just makes a great deal of sense.

Maybe thuja is a better choice for eastern US? There are cultivars available that look pretty much the same as leylandiis

might be bagworms

Looks like a major bagworm infestation! Although it could be secondary to the main issue.

Oh my gosh! I looked up bagworm and remembered seeing small "cones" hanging. I wish I could attach a video because the "cones" were moving! They are all over.

Here is a picture of one on a tree that isn't bad yet.

Many things you can replace them with:

Hollies (as suggested)

Thuja, such as "Green Giant"

Mixed evergreen border (more work involved, but more unique) - different species of conifers and broad-leaved evergreens that en masse make a screen, but since it's multiple species, one disease or bug won't kill off all of them at once. This takes a lot more planning, but it's an idea I endorse.