This indicator refers to the forest area that is managed according to defined principles of sustainability. This could include locally, nationally or internationally-recognized standards for "certified" forest management. However, certification does not automatically mean that forestry is being conducted sustainability as standards for what is sustainable may vary among countries and regions.

Setting land aside from development and extraction is a classic method for protecting biodiversity and habitats. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on the amount and distribution of reserved forest.

Advisory committees can provide important scientific and political guidance for state regulation of extractive activities. These committees are often chosen from stakeholders that have particular knowledge or represent particular constituents that are or should be involved in decisions about forestry.

Adequate regulation of forestry activities is more likely to retain forested ecosystems and sustainable communities than no regulation. However, how true this statement is depends on the degree of regulation relative to need and the standards by which forestry is regulated.

This indicator describes forestland in different forest cover types and protected area categories. This indicator can provide the basis for documenting landscape-level changes in the area of forest cover types allocated to each protection-level category as a basis for discussing whether allocations are appropriate in the context of providing other environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Tax reduction to retain lands in a certain use are a form of subsidy used to protect socially-valued activities and landscapes. When forest lands are enrolled in reduced property tax programs they are more likely to stay forested, rather than be sold and developed.

Planning forest cutting, planting, and restoration projects on national forests may improve predictability and sustainability.

Private forest lands are not all used for logging. Some are retained for future development or use, some are part of parcels that are partially developed. Land-owners with non-industrial forest land may want to log part or all of their parcel to derive some income. This activity is usually regulated by the state department of forestry.

Certain economic activities rely on their adjacency to forested areas (e.g., forest-dependent tourism). This economic connection can lead to both loss and protection of forest function, depending on how economic activities are regulated in the area.

Monitoring is a critical activity in adaptive management of human activities in forests. Tracking forest condition, forestry activities, social and economic benefits and impacts, and external forces on forests (e.g., climate change) are all important monitoring activities.