For example, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan described below calls for restoring waterfowl populations to 1970s levels, or about 62 million breeding birds. This is a clear and quantifiable objective that can be related to a specific landscape area. From this statement of the objective, management options and their consequent effects can be assessed. Once objectives are defined, procedures to accomplish them can be explored. Several options should be described, evaluated, and compared.
Models can often serve a useful function here.
Activities that do not change one of these should be viewed cautiously. Outreach objectives that build public support and understanding must be factored into management schemes, but their outputs are hard to quantify. Management options are often constrained by policies and politics. For example, acquiring habitat by purchase may be the best option for managing ducks in an area. If acquisition is against agency policy or lacking public support, alternatives must be sought.