First, ponderosa pine trees shed their needles a minimum of once a year, causing the tree to turn a shade of brown. This is healthy as long as the tree is replacing needles with new growth.
Second, ponderosa pine trees do not do well under stress caused by new building sites. If the roots are cut and compaction around the tree takes place during building, the tree will be stressed and becomes more susceptible to disease and insects and may die within one to five years.
If the tree has totally turned brown then more than likely it has died and can not be brought back, but it will make a great habitat (if not affected by certain beetles) for birds. If the tree is close to the house it needs to be removed. If the tree is infected with ponderosa pine beetle or IPS Beetle then the tree needs to be removed as soon as possible.
