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In the western United States conversion of sagebrush steppe to piñon-juniper woodlands has several adverse effects including elevated soil erosion, altered wildlife habitat, and reduced herbaceous plant productivity diversity. In western juniper woodlands, woodland control using mechanical or fire treatments are effective actions to recover sagebrush steppe. Herbaceous cover, production, and diversity recovers in 2 to 10 years. Sagebrush recovery is variable though after fire it is likely a decadal process. Successful recovery depends on several elements including the density of residual perennial bunchgrasses, woodland phase treated, degree of weed presence, and method of treatment. Evidence indicates that there is greater potential for recovery of preferred plant communities by controlling trees in early to mid-succession (< 50-60 yrs old) phases. In these woodlands mechanical control offers a low level of disturbance that are appropriate for maintaining important habitat requirements for wildlife, reducing liability and smoke management issues, and often results in fewer post treatment management concerns. Small trees and juniper seeds are not well controlled by mechanical treatments which often requires woodland re-treatment within 10 to 30 years. Fire in early woodland phases has several advantages in that herbaceous response is more predictable, small trees are effectively killed, and areas may not require retreatment for extended time periods (40-100 years). The impacts of burning later phase, post-settlement woodlands (70-130+ yrs old) is less predictable because of depleted understories and the potential for greater fire caused mortality of desirable vegetation which may lead to weed dominance. Mechanical and low impact fire applications are often the best means for treatment of late phase woodlands. When late woodland phases are broadcast burned, seeding of sagebrush and competitive mixes of herbaceous plants should be considered to augment recovery.