Technical Abstract: Sustainable resource management is one of the most complex concerns today. Society has spent billions on conserving soils in production yet it is unclear whether these efforts buy sustainability. Further study about which soils need conservation merits consideration. We use a simulation model, regression and optimization analysis to examine the sustainability of resource management in objective, measurable ways. Soil quality, represented by a new index, and other non-irrigated corn production data are placed into a dynamic model to identify: 1) the conditions where soil conservation is efficient, and 2) under what definitions conservation is sustainable. Results show that decisions to use or conserve soil and the impacts of these decisions are highly dependent upon soil type and how sustainability is defined. In general, while soil conservation slowed degradation on erodible soils, it seemed to be more effective and economically efficient the better the initial quality of the soil.