You have already begun! It will be a long haul, but keep at it -removing the ivy and tree limbs. Does your town have a trash pickup? Do you have a large wheelbarrow? Start a compost pile. Identify any trees before removing them. They may not be "trash" trees. Plant native wildflowers and ferns.

I'm not sure about the ivy, but goats will eat the blackberry bushes. My grandfather has successfully used goats to clear his woods of blackberries. You do have to be careful, though that they do not eat the trees (they will strip the bark) or escape.

My woods is covered with ivy as well. I tried at first to pull it, but it grows faster than I can pull. It is unbelievably thick with roots and stems up to a half inch thick. I finally broke down and have used Brush B Gone or Roundup for brush and poison ivy, and have used it on one area at a time. It kills the roots, and the vines start rotting, making it easier to clear. I don't like using it, but came to the conclusion that it was the only way for me to deal with it. I am slowly clearing an area at a time.

I feel your pain. We have only two acres of woods that were full of buckthorn and prickly ash as well as two vines that take over the trees and like you said years of limbs, yard waste, barb wire...Over five years I took one section a summer and began clearing. Each fall we went after one specific "trash" tree to irradicate. It is less daunting if you take them one species at a time. We too took to burning. We tried to rent a mulching/wood chipper, but it just kept clogging up. Not to burst your bubble but after five years the prickly ash is reappearing. The seeds or roots or what ever start slow but do return. The vines we found are easier to cut at their ground point and then let die. They remove easily when dead. It was/is well worth the effort. I love my shade gardens. I have hundreds of hosta and other shade loving plants. Many natural woodland ones I saved from deep in the mess and brought closer to the yard. Too many of the chemicals only work for a few weeks I have found. I tried one that warned nothing would grow for a year and to be careful of anything down below the drainage would kill it too. It did not seem to make much of a dent. I just get out there with my clipper,rakes, shovel, weed wacker, shears. When I can't do it I call in my husband with the chain saw. Wheel barrel by wheel barrel off it goes to the burn pile. Think of it as a cheap work out. You will be sore, sweat, and build muscles you didn't know you had. In the end you get a beautiful garden ta boot.

Just keep at it. I've lived in my home for 9 years now. This is the first year I can say the hillside and woodlands are starting to look like beautiful woodlands. There is still a lot of work to do. I work in sections, and use tarp to cover areas (trying to save the natives as well). When the weeds die, I remove the tarp and plant. It's hard work. My husband started pitching in when he noticed how good it was starting to look. His muscle has really helped things go faster. I use all of the grass clippings to mulch around the new plants until they are big enough to cover the ground. I'm also getting rid of the junk trees and transplanting the oak seedlings that pop up to better locations. Whew! I'm getting tired just typing about it.