The December 2010 Rangelands “Ecological Site Descriptions”  was one of the most widely read issues ever published. The individual papers have been used by scientists, managers, policymakers, and educators to convey the importance of ecological site information to natural resource management and to improve understanding of this tool. The issue was successful in providing a focal point for a widely dispersed literature and practice by bringing together historical perspective, terminology, general guidance, and applications to a variety of range and forest ecosystems. At the time of the previous special issue on ecological sites, the three predominant land management agencies in the United States (Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service) had just signed the Interagency Memorandum of Understanding; the Interagency Rangeland Ecological Site Manual was about to be released and individual agencies were realigning inventory and monitoring programs and staffs.