Cut the vines to save the trees from excessive weight.
Next issue is what kind of vines?
If English Ivy, bittersweet or porcelain berry eradicate it.
A ground cover adapted to that kind of area could probably be planted in it as it is. I definitely would not rototill around trees.

Just make a pile in a place that can be undisturbed and let nature do its work. The really early small birds like to scratch in this type of material to find food when they first arrive.

Too bad that you took out all of the dead trees. I know doing so will allow other trees to branch out and grow but I whine when I read of all the homes being destroyed. You may find that you have less birds in the immediate area since many nest in cavities of dead trees. But given time they could come back.

Try to find out what plants you have you may find some treasures.

You just have to start in. We took out any sapling skinnier than my arm, then started removing all the dead wood. We dreampt of renting a chipper to. What a hassle. The ones they rent were just too small and we spent more time unjamming them. We ended up burning all the debris. If you have a compost site you can haul it to them. We have a two acre lot, house in the middle normal size yard the perimeter all trees. We raised the canopy and I now have gardens cut into the trees 20 feet deep all the way around. It took a few years but we made it all around the house. You have to stay on top of all the weeds, buck thorn,etc but a lot of pretty wild flowers flourished once we gave them room, jack in the pulpit, violets,Solomon's seat etc. Good luck.