I commiserate with you. The bad news-there's really nothing you can do. The good news? there's really nothing you need to do. The tree will go on living and may in time re-establish a new leader. Most conifers are quite good at doing so. It will just seem to you as though it's taking forever, since you really can't see what's going on up there. But no, as bad as this is, it won't kill the tree.

Re-reading more of your post, I would not do a thing to anything around the tree. Your and your neighbor's commentary on what is happening with tree removal, subsequent increased winds, etc. sound spot-on to me. I'd attempt-to the greatest degree possible-to retain what mother nature has there for you.

What kind of tree is It? Concolor Fir?

I wouldnt remove move the volunteer. In fact, I'd make a point of Loking for volunteers that happen to grow on good spots, identify the species, and mark them to be preserved. Trees die...you need to have understudies waiting in the was.

You are right that losing trees makes other trees more vulnerable to wind. When turpentine beetles wiped out the Black Pine windbreaks in my parent's development, they started losing the remaining trees one by one in hurricanes.

Thank you for the replies. Relieved that he will continue on!

I am not sure what type of tree it is. I believe it is a Sitka Spruce.

Not sure why my photos upload like this. Touch the pic for the correct perspective.

jn, I'm still confused about the proper orientation of that last pic, but I want to say, if the cones are (or were) held upright, it's some kind of fir. If pendant, it's a spruce. Douglas fir-not a true fir, lol, also have pendant cones but they don't resemble these cones. I think you've got one of the numerous PNW fir species.

But not abies grandis, it has to be another of the PNW firs. Maybe abies amabilis.

Hey, so yes, the cones are upright. Here's the very top of the leader that came down.

Likely to be Abies amabilis.

Dax