had the same issue when i first came to east texas. I asked around the local farms and talked to the neighbors - was shown groves of it. Even found groves of it on our property after that.
I would imagine if you talk to some farmers they will show it to ya and let you cut it down - a lot of people consider it brush and well worth the entertainment to watch someone cut it down. Be prepared to cut it, harvest what you want and then drag the rest off tho. Or a lot of people around here will let you cut it down, take what you can use, cut the rest into fence posts. They take the posts, you get the staves and you or both drag the brush off.