Producers have several options available for managing undesired vegetation and the choice of method depends upon economics, potential for pollution, target species, and acceptability of herbicide use. These options include fire, mechanical (mowing, bulldozing, roller chopping, chaining or root plowing), chemical (spraying of herbicides), and animal impact (grazing with various species of animals with different grazing management practices).

Fire is an economical and effective tool for controlling many plant species, but some species readily sprout back from the roots or seed. Fire may be an effective pretreatment for goats, especially where the woody species are over ten feet tall. Fire can be dangerous if it gets out of control and liability concerns have limited its use in recent years. Most mechanical methods are too expensive and although they can quickly achieve dramatic results, these are often short-lived. Chemical control has been effective in the past, but has become more costly due to the increasing expense of chemicals and application. Runoff and/or spray drift from chemical application can be a problem. Chemical control is not usually specific and results in killing more than the targeted species. Spraying native range for weeds has resulted in a 20-30% reduction in grassland production presumably due to the herbicide killing nitrogen fixing legumes. Further, some individuals object to the use of chemicals based on their personal values. Animal impact involves control of grazing animal species (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, etc.), time of year of grazing, duration of grazing, and length of rest period for the site. Managing grazing in this manner can be effective in controlling some species of vegetation, but the required level of management is often unavailable.

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