The one rule you can't skip: get approved before you clear. EQIP contracts say not to start any practice that's being paid for until NRCS has signed the contract, unless NRCS approves a waiver. Oklahoma's state cedar program has the same rule: an approved plan before any work begins. If you clear first, you may lose the chance to be paid for it.
EQIP: the federal program in all four states
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, is run by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners pay for conservation work on land they own or lease. Brush management, which includes mechanical control of woody brush, is one of the practices on the state payment schedules. Oklahoma State University Extension notes that a variety of state and federal cost-share programs exist to help Oklahoma landowners control cedar.
How it works:
- Find your Service Center. Look up the USDA Service Center for your county on farmers.gov. A conservation planner talks with you about your land and your goals.
- Apply. NRCS needs you and your land on file with the Farm Service Agency, which is also at the Service Center. Bring a tax ID and the deed or lease that shows you control the land, plus a farm tract number. If you don't have one, the Farm Service Agency can give you one. Applications are taken all year, but each state ranks them by its own cutoff dates, so ask when the next one is.
- Get ranked and approved. NRCS ranks applications by local resource concerns, how much conservation the work will do and the applicant's needs. Funding is competitive, so it isn't guaranteed.
- Do the work to NRCS standards. The plan spells out what has to be done. NRCS only pays for work that meets its standards and specifications.
- Get paid after it's done. Under the contract terms, payment comes after the work is finished and certified.
What it pays
EQIP pays a set rate per unit of work, listed in each state's payment schedule. Missouri and Kansas both put out updated schedules each October to December, and a schedule can be revised during the year. For example, the fiscal year 2026 schedules, the latest posted when we checked on October 29, 2026, pay these rates for the same scenario in both states: brush management, mechanical control of large shrubs at medium infestation.
| State | Standard rate | Historically underserved |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri (schedule) | $306.20 an acre | $367.44 an acre |
| Kansas (schedule) | $315.74 an acre | $378.89 an acre |
That's what the program pays you after the work is certified, not what the clearing costs. Your rate depends on your state, the year and the scenario your planner writes up. The higher rate is for applicants who qualify as historically underserved, and your Service Center can tell you if you do. Ask your Service Center for the current schedule.
Missouri and Kansas
EQIP is the place to start in both states. In Missouri, also ask about the Missouri Department of Conservation's private land conservationists. They help plan habitat projects and, as KXCV reported, guide landowners through the cost-share that's available.
Oklahoma: the state's cedar program
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission runs an Invasive Woody Species Cost Share for eastern red cedar, saltcedar and mesquite. It needs an approved plan before any work begins. Sign-up for its 2027 round was set for September 1 to November 1, 2026, and the round lists 23 eligible conservation districts. None of them are in the northeast counties we serve, so for land in northeast Oklahoma, start with EQIP.
Arkansas: Game and Fish habitat program
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Conservation Incentive Program offers landowners money back for some wildlife habitat work. The most recent habitat round closed February 6, 2026. It needed at least 10 acres per practice, and tree removal had to include herbicide. Cedar wasn't on its list. To hear about the 2027 program, fill out AGFC's interest form. For brush and cedar on Arkansas farm, ranch and forest land, start with EQIP.
Where we fit in
We don't run these programs, and we can't promise you'll be approved. If you're applying, tell us when you ask for a quote and send the plan your conservation planner writes. Don't let anyone start before your contract or plan is approved, including us. Once you have it, tell us and we'll schedule from there. If the plan calls for specific areas, trees to keep or a certain result, that's what we'll aim for.
Where this information comes from
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- NRCS-CPA-1202 Appendix, EQIP contract provisions (November 2024), USDA NRCS.
- Missouri payment schedule page, USDA NRCS.
- FY2026 Missouri NRCS Programs Payment Schedule, USDA NRCS.
- Kansas payment schedule page, USDA NRCS.
- FY2026 Kansas EQIP Payment Schedule (June 23, 2026), USDA NRCS.
- Eastern Redcedar Control and Management, Oklahoma State University Extension.
- Apply for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA NRCS.
- Get Started with NRCS, USDA NRCS.
- Find your local USDA Service Center, farmers.gov.
- MDC looking to help private landowners and wildlife, KXCV, June 10, 2024.
- Invasive Woody Species Cost Share, FY27, Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
- FY27 Invasive Woody Species Cost Share District Guide, Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
- AGFC Private Lands Division announces second round of Conservation Incentive Program, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, January 7, 2026.
- Conservation Incentive Program, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Checked October 29, 2026. Programs, rates and rules change, so check with the agency before you rely on them.