One of the most serious challenges to implementing effective land management strategies is the lack of understanding of how best to achieve many of the agency partners' stated goals. The federal land management agencies and their personnel are very good at what they do, but in many situations the science and technology for implementing practices to achieve mandated outcomes are not well understood or documented. Therefore, technical assistance is needed in the following high priority areas: improving the dissemination and accessibility of technical information and data, synthesis of current scientific understanding of priority topics, and developing systematic procedures based on current knowledge and processes that will improve the land manager's ability to assess ecosystem health.