RE: Burning
I'm a big fan of prescribed fire. Burning is an inexpensive way to control brush. It is a good bit cheaper than most chemicals. The most expensive part of the burn is having heavy equipment come in to put in the fire guard. The mortality rates of your brush won't be near as high as with chemicals, but a lot of times you can do several burns for what one chemical application would cost. A good burn will open your land up a good bit. When it grows back, simply burn it again. After each burn, the plants remaining will come on strong with a lot of new growth.
Burning also promotes diversity in your plant community. A lot of plants do a lot better where there is regular prescribed fire than in places where there is no fire. Especially many desirable grasses and forbes.
My suggestion is to contact your local USDA-NRCS office. A lot of those guys have a lot of training and experience doing control burns. They can help you come up with a burn plan and even help you conduct the burn. They can also better advise you to the advantages and costs of doing a control burn in your area.