Issues included biological diversity, recycling, threatened and endangered species, customer diversity and the demand for recreation, forest productivity and climate change, private forest investment, and water quality on forest and rangelands. The technical documents are available on this web site in pdf format. The original language of the Resources Planning Act emphasizes resource availability in an economic context. However, it is clear that the ability of the resource base to produce both tangible and intangible outputs for society is dependent on the condition of the resource base. As a result, more attention was directed to assessing resource conditions for the 2000 RPA Assessment.
International linkages continue to be important.
National policies and international agreements on global warming and biological diversity have increased the visibility of international resource issues. U.S. demands affect resource conditions and supplies outside national boundaries. A set of seven criteria and 67 indicators were initially endorsed for use . The seven criteria provide the organizing framework for the 2000 RPA Assessment. The Assessment will serve as a synthesis and reporting mechanism for the SFM criteria and indicators at the national level.