Status of Economic Criteria and Indicators for the Sustainable Rangeland Roundtable

John A. Tanaka and L. Allen Torell

Core Group Marty Beutler, South Dakota State University Dan McCollum, U.S. Forest Service Charles Curtin, Malapai Borderlands Group, Arid

Lands Project Mark Brunson, Utah State University Lou Swanson, Colorado State University Aaron Harp, Policy Analysis Center for Western

Public Lands, University of Idaho Mike Manfredo, Colorado State University

Role of Economic C&I’s What happens to economic system as other

systems change Find ways to measure those effects

Process

Adapt Montreal Process Criterion 6Adapt Montreal Process Criterion 6 Adapt Roundtable on Sustainable Adapt Roundtable on Sustainable

ForestsForests New issues from SRR meetingsNew issues from SRR meetings Identify and evaluate indicators for Identify and evaluate indicators for

understanding economic sustainabilityunderstanding economic sustainability

Framework for Analysis County levelCounty level Sampling protocolSampling protocol Developed indices to adjust for size and Developed indices to adjust for size and

development of individual countiesdevelopment of individual counties Study to understand social, economic Study to understand social, economic

indicator relationships to ecological indicator relationships to ecological changeschanges

Indicators Commodity – $ of AUMsCommodity – $ of AUMs Recreation – fees and valuesRecreation – fees and values Investments – improvements, facilitiesInvestments – improvements, facilities Research, development, education – $Research, development, education – $ EmploymentEmployment Conservation easementsConservation easements Trade flowsTrade flows

Challenges and Opportunities Definitional Relationships Scale

Definitional Questions What is being measured How is it being measured

Relationships

Scale Individual Community County Region National

Conclusion and Future Work No nationally accepted frameworkNo nationally accepted framework Continue work on existing indicatorsContinue work on existing indicators Develop frameworkDevelop framework