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Much of the southern Great Plains grasslands and rangelands have become dominated by woody plants ("brush") such as mesquite (Prosopis) and juniper (Juniperus) in the last 100 years. This vegetation shift has become so pervasive that brush threatens grass-dependent livestock production and grassland-dependent plant and wildlife species. Concurrently, different wildlife species and different income sources such as recreational hunting for shrub-dependent wildlife have developed that further threaten the impetus for restoration of grassland function. Brush encroachment has increased as a result of numerous factors, including increased seed distribution via livestock consumption and fecal deposition of viable seeds. In addition, livestock grazing practices have simultaneously limited the competitive ability of grasses against emerging brush seedlings and reduced frequency of natural fires that depend on grass as fuel. The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations may also have a significant impact on brush and grass competitive relationships in favor of brush. This trajectory will continue without anthropogenic brush management intervention. The re-introduction of fire via prescribed fires may play a role, but fire has severe limitations related to frequency and precision of application, as well as desired effect on brush. Many resprouting shrubs like mesquite and redberry juniper are only temporarily suppressed by fire. In addition, the frequency and intensity of fire required to mimic pre-settlement fire regimes that may have limited brush invasion may not be possible in many rangeland areas, especially as human population growth into rural areas increases. This paper will summarize and prioritize the causes of brush encroachment and point to possible management solutions that offer the most sustainable opportunity to achieve agricultural production, recreation and ecological restoration goals on brush-dominated rangelands.