Abstract:
Forest and watershed restoration on national forests and grasslands has ecological, social, and economic
objectives. Forest Service performance measures have largely focused on outputs associated
with land treatments, rather than ecological, social, and economic outcomes, in part because outputs
are much more easily measured than outcomes. Over the past several years, the Forest Service has
undertaken initiatives to develop performance measures that are broader in scope and more outcome-oriented.
The Watershed Condition Framework was one such effort for tracking ecological measures related
to watershed restoration. This briefing paper summarizes key findings from an effort to pilot social and
economic performance measures associated with watershed restoration.