Management strategies must be socially, economically and politically acceptable and justifiable to individual landowners, communities and society as a whole. Ecosystem-based management must, however, also alter human activities to stay within the physical and biological capabilities of the land. Ecosystem-based approaches coordinate the management of large areas of land. Within large management areas or watersheds , many competing and often conflicting issues exist. Decisions made at the landscape or watershed level involve a wide range of ecological concerns and the values of many people.
Watershed planning is an important part of ecosystem-based management.
Watershed planning relies on a collaborative approach to socially define problems, management goals and strategies at a landscape level. Methods of involving the public in decision-making processes and resolving conflicts are necessary to consider the views of all stakeholders in a watershed. Management at the watershed level is, however, only one aspect of ecosystem-based management. Watersheds can be managed for a single purpose, but ecosystem-based management integrates ecological, social, economic, and political factors to create a management plan that sustains the total system.