OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today passed a measure in committee that would expand a program to eradicate harmful trees and shrubs in certain watersheds statewide.

House Bill 2162 would create the Terry Peach Watershed Restoration Act. The act would build on House Bill 2239 enacted in 2023, which created a pilot program focused on the North Canadian Watershed with the goal of exploring solutions to the infestation of red cedars and other invasive species.

"These trees and shrubs create a great fire danger, and they draw away crucial amounts of water in already drought-stricken areas of our state," Dobrinski said. "Expanding this program statewide will help protect our environment – including grazing lands and wildlife habitats – and boost our economy."

HB2162 would remove the pilot status of the program and would create a revolving fund to be administered by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to accomplish the goals of the program. The estimated cost of expansion is $10 million, which would have to be approved through the appropriations' process. Dobrinski said the return on investment to the state should be greater than this initial investment.

The bill today passed the House Agriculture Committee and now is eligible to be heard in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Oversight.

Dobrinski said the pilot program created previously has already proven enormously successful, with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission eradicating many invasive species in the initial watershed area and around housing developments and critical infrastructure. The commission also has provided training and support for rural fire departments and burn associations to continue the work.

Trey Lam, executive director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission has said in the past that the rapid growth of cedar brush intensifies drought, reduces water levels and fuels intense wildfires every year. While there is no one single short term solution, a three-prong approach of research, eradication by utilizing prescribed burning and mechanically creating brush-free zones around communities and rural infrastructure has been utilized effectively and is the basis for the new legislation.