Share your success 

As the stewardship project 

unfolds, monitor its progress and 

assess the effectiveness of its 

strategies using these measures: 

Process measures indicate how 

effectively the project roadmap 

is being carried out. For example, 

Are the communication efforts 

reaching the target audience? 

Were the messages understood 

and favorably received? 

Performance measures 

indicate what was 

accomplished with the 

investment of project 

resources. For example, How 

many forested acres have been 

protected by a conservation 

easement? 

Outcome measures are tied 

to project objectives and 

indicate the progress being made toward meeting these objectives. For 

example, What proportion of targeted landowners within the project area 

is managing their woodland with professionally prepared guidance? 

Impact measures evaluate if project objectives are being met. For example, 

Have we improved the habitat of sensitive aquatic species in the priority 

forest landscape? 

Northeastern Area 

State and Private Forestry 

Northeastern Area 

Association of State Foresters 

For a complete overview 

of a landscape approach to 

forest stewardship, 

see the 

Landscape Stewardship 

Reference Guide online: www.landscapestewardship.org

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

Landscape Stewardship Project 

A Quick-Start Guide for 

Forest Stewardship Program Managers 

Landscape stewardship brings together a variety of 

partners who have shared interests in the outcomes of forest 

stewardship. These partners, which need to include public 

agencies, communities, and forest landowners, among others, 

can work together so that current and future generations will enjoy the 

benefits of sustainably managed forests. 

Identify a project area 

Landscape stewardship is an 

appropriate tool for addressing 

the issues and opportunities 

identified in each State’s Forest 

Assessment and Strategy. 

Priority areas identified in 

this Assessment and Strategy 

make strong candidates for a 

landscape stewardship project. 

For example, a State may have 

identified a priority area where 

sensitive aquatic species are in serious decline due in part to inappropriate 

land management practices. A forest landscape stewardship coordinator 

can work with other State, Federal, and nongovernmental organizations to 

build a coalition committed to reversing the decline of these species. 

Selected Priority 

Forest Landscape 

Any strategy to improve ecosystem health 

requires the voluntary cooperation of 

many forest landowners within a given 

landscape. Using a collaborative approach 

that helps community members address 

their priorities benefits the landowners and 

the landscape at the same time. 

NA–IN–02–11 

February 2011 
Increasing the reach and influence of forest stewardship 

Engage the community 

The next step is to build a 

local constituency that will 

address State and regional 

issues. Work with community 

decisionmakers and other 

stakeholders, including both 

forest landowners and those 

who don’t own forest land, 

to identify and agree on 

priorities for conservation. 

These priorities should address the community’s social, economic, 

and environmental issues while contributing to the project’s resource 

objectives. 

Draft the project roadmap 

There are two important questions 

to answer when developing a project 

roadmap: 

1.	 What is the community’s vision for its 

future? The answer to this will frame 

the long-term outcomes it seeks from 

its forests. 

2.	 What resources and conditions 

currently exist in a community’s 

landscape? This information, especially with respect to private forest 

ownership, will provide a baseline against which progress can be 

measured. It is particularly important to not only determine forest 

landowner objectives and motivations, but to make the connection 

between community objectives and resource solutions, particularly 

those that require the participation of private forest landowners. 

Build a foundation for success 

It’s important to be organized before 

beginning a landscape stewardship 

project. This includes such things as: 

1. Building the team that will be 

responsible for making sure the 

roadmap is followed, gathering all 

needed resources, and increasing the 

ability of partners to contribute to the 

effort. 

2. Aligning and integrating the project with existing State, Federal, and 

local programs. 

3. Initiating training for both public and private sector project participants. 

4. Engaging local business leaders and building the financial support 

needed to address the community’s conservation priorities. 

Achieve your shared vision 

Identify forested parcels that 

are critical to community 

conservation priorities. 

At this point, there should be a coalition of 

partners, a community-based team that’s ready 

to go, a roadmap that will lead to success, and 

the resources to get the job done. Achieving a 

shared vision requires work on two fronts: 

1. Creating a political and economic 

environment that supports private forest 

stewardship within the project area by 

conducting outreach and education and 

guiding public policy. 

2. Engaging landowners as forest stewards 

by promoting conservation marketing, 

providing meaningful incentives, and offering 

appropriate technical assistance. 

The goal of Forest Stewardship is to sustain the health, productivity, and diversity of the Nation’s privately owned forest land to help meet the needs of current and future generations.