Frequently Asked Questions
Findings and Conclusions:
What actions does the SRR First Approximation Report recommend?
In the First Approximation Report, SRR recommends a set of criteria and indicators to be used to assess rangeland sustainability. The report will also contain recommendations for future SRR activities and describe the benefits of supporting these activities. As SRR attempts to populate indicators with data, we will be able to recommend research protocols for measuring some indicators, as well as to recommend needed coordination and changes in monitoring methods for other indicators.

You say we don't have enough data, yet government agencies continue to regulate private sector activities. Shouldn't they stop until we have the right data?
Government agencies generally collect adequate, if imperfect, information about the lands they administer to make current decisions and actions. The purpose of the SRR effort is to improve coordination and dialogue among agencies, leading toward standardized national data sets that can describe overall trends for private and public land managers. Such information will further inform agencies, individually and collectively, to improve the quality of decisions and actions.

Will the indicators be used to regulate what I do on my grazing allotment?
No. The indicators are focused at a national level and while it can reveal regional trends that might inform regional policies, it will not give information on individual grazing allotments.

Who is to blame for the unsustainability of U.S. rangelands?
SRR is determining Criteria and Indicators for assessing rangeland sustainability. It is not determining the current status of rangelands or the causes for their present condition, and, therefore, does not assess blame or credit for rangeland condition.