This paper presents a structured research design to achieve an economi
cally viable and ecologically sustainable land use. It includes the ma
jor elements required to achieve a predictive capability at ranch, wat
ershed and regional scales. A management protocol is proposed, incorpo
rating client feedback to aid in producing relevant technology and inf
ormation in a useable format. Sustainable land use depends on: (1) acc
ounting for environmental effects, (2) decreasing reliance on depletab
le and polluting non-renewable resources, and (3) maintaining ecosyste
m resilience.