How Oklahoma Funded the Cedar Fight  
- BGWT 207


This episode is made possible by support from the Oklahoma Conservation Commission
Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association

Great Plains Fire Science Exchange


Eastern redcedar has spread across Oklahoma for decades, transforming grasslands and rangelands while creating consequences that extend well beyond the fence line. In this episode, Oklahoma Conservation Commission Executive Director Trey Lam and Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Dobrinski join John Weir, Laura Goodman, Ph.D. and Mark Turner, Ph.D. to explore why cedar has become an issue for landowners, firefighters, wildlife managers, communities and water users. The discussion connects woody encroachment with wildfire intensity, reduced forage and habitat, changes in soil and water, and the growing expense of reclaiming heavily infested land.


The group also tells the story behind Oklahoma’s recent push to do something about it. Previous cedar task forces produced research and recommendations but struggled to generate sustained action. Drought, wildfire, concern about water flowing through the North Canadian watershed and Canton Lake, available funding and legislative leadership eventually converged to help launch the Terry Peach effort. What began as a research and demonstration approach has expanded into cost-share programs, prescribed-fire assistance and targeted treatment areas across Oklahoma. 



Perhaps the most important lesson is that cedar management gets harder and more expensive when it is delayed. The guests discuss prescribed fire, mechanical treatment, targeted technologies and even potential uses for removed cedar, including mulch and biochar. But they caution landowners against leaving trees in place simply because a future cedar market might develop. Their message is straightforward: manage cedar early, document the results and treat healthy grasslands, reliable water, wildlife habitat and reduced wildfire exposure as part of the economic value of the land.