Hi Gene,
You've certainly got your work cut out for you. This will likely be a multi-year project just to get under control. Poison ivy propagation is primarily by seed. The birds and other wildlife are attracted to the whitish berries and "leave behind" the seeds in their droppings. The plant also will send out long runners with aerial rootlets which allow the plant to cling to trees, along bushes, along the ground, etc. This is a VERY hardy plant and if you don't kill the plant completely including the root, it will come back.
Here are a few reference sites for you:
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