These measures the criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management tell how well we are doing as stewards of the land. Protecting the land means not letting its use outstrip its capacity to restore itself. We need to protect rare and vulnerable plants and animals and ecosystems, as well as fish and wildlife unduly threatened by land use practices. In addition, we need to preserve wild places and restore damaged forests and rangelands. For many generations, this meant obtaining a nicer house, a better education, or more material goods.
People can renew their spirit in the surroundings of nature.
Wildlife, fish, flowers, shrubs, and trees are abundant in numbers and variety. People can work with confidence that future generations will not bear an unacceptable cost for the consequences of their work. The land sustains economic and social uses that do not compromise its health. Water flows clean, cold, and abundantly for use by many dependent life forms. People can feel connected to the land part of the larger community of all living things that Aldo Leopold envisioned.