Through the development and use of the products of research, significant progress has been made in producing food, fiber, and forest products efficiently and cost effectively. However, the impact of current and emerging practices on the protection and conservation of natural resources must be given even greater attention to meet society's expectations and needs. There is increasing need to better understand the social and environmental consequences of resource management decisions. Multiple uses of both public and private lands bring still another complicating dimension to the total equation. Research in this area will result in enlightened policy decision-making, better use of natural resources, and improved efficiency of food, fiber, and forest production and management systems compatible with social and environmental values.
Objectives Determine environmental criteria.
Develop science-based criteria for environmental quality as a standard for evaluating the positive and negative impacts of alternative management strategies. Develop methods to assess social values. Develop quantitative methods to evaluate the social and environmental value of natural resource availability and quality. Assess management system impacts. Identify and measure the environmental effects from public and private conventional agricultural and forestry resource management practices.