Overview: Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable criteria and indicators for standardized inventory, monitoring, and reporting. Child, R. Dennis^*,1, Maczko, Kristie¹, ¹ Forest, Range, and Watershed Stewardship Department, Fort Collins, CO, USA

ABSTRACT- Sustainability is emerging as an analysis paradigm for monitoring and assessing natural resource systems. Rangelands stakeholders, including representatives from conservation groups, livestock industry, local, state, and federal government, and university partners, have identified factors for assessing rangeland sustainability. This open, inclusive partnership, known as the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable (SRR), has distinguished criteria and indicators embodying social, economic, and ecological factors that form a framework for multi-scale rangeland assessments. The SRR has finalized a report outlining a framework for standardized monitoring and reporting to assess progress toward rangeland sustainability in the United States. SRR indicators are identified for five criteria: 1) conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources on rangelands, 2) conservation and maintenance of plant and animal resources on rangelands, 3) maintenance of productive capacity on rangelands, 4) maintenance and enhancement of multiple economic and social benefits to current and future generations, and 5) legal, institutional, and economic frameworks for rangeland conservation and management. Availability of indicator information will foster informed, sound decision-making relative to the sustainability of economic, social, and ecological benefits derived from rangelands Benefits include: enhanced interagency coordination and cooperation; standardization of monitoring protocols; increased efficiency of data collection and analysis; focused funding allocation; improved stakeholder dialogue and information exchange; and informed decision making.

KEY WORDS: sustainability, sustainable rangelands roundtable, monitoring and reporting, inventory and assessment