Technical Abstract: Central tenets of living with drought rangelands are complex, often unpredictable lanscapes, in which drought is a constant feature. The effects of drought are dependent on prior conditions that are largely the result of the continual interplay of humans and their environment. By investing in human capital, and the large social context, we can better manage this interplay to meet a diversity of needs. It is knowledge, and the creation of knowledge, through monitoring and scientific investigation, that allows land management professionals to better adapt and innovate to ever chaning conditions. Likewise, the greater society provides the ethic and the needed flexibility for the land manager to operate within. Without first adressing this often ignored framework, use of other management tools are likely to be costly, have short-lived benefits, and uninteded consequences.