The goal of an ecosystem approach to natural resource management is to foster the sustainable use of ecosystems and the equitable distribution of their benefits. An ecosystem approach is successful if it preserves or increases the capacity of an ecosystem to produce the desired benefits in the future, and increases the capacity of society to fairly apportion benefits and costs.

Manage Within Natural Limits
Recognize the complex functioning of ecosystems and respect their biological thresholds. Conserve ecosystem structure in order to maintain ecosystem productivity.

Manage for the Long Term
Optimize ecosystem productivity—and benefits—over generations, not years. With care, managing for long-term productivity can be compatible with significant short-term gains.

Manage at Both the Micro and Macro Scales
Respect ecosystem processes at the micro level, but see them in the larger frame of landscapes. Decentralize management to the local level when possible. But recognize that ecosystems are interconnected and interactive, and exist on many scales. Local management efforts must be linked and harmonized at the larger scale so they do not work at cross-purposes.

Account for the True Value of Ecosystems
Include the full array of ecosystem goods and services when assigning economic value, not just the commodity value of extracted goods.

Make Trade-Offs Clear
Recognize that ecosystem management will involve trade-offs, since not every good or service can be maximized at the same time. Make tradeoffs transparent so that costs can be shared equitably.

Involve All Stakeholders in Decisions
Be inclusive when making major management decisions, involving all stakeholders to foster equity and inspire active participation in the stewardship of ecosystems. Integrate social information with economic and environmental information in the decision-making process. Acknowledge that human modification of ecosystems is not incompatible with good stewardship.