Use of designation by prescription (DxP) as a valid method to designate National Forest System timber for harvest is a significant change to the way the USDA Forest Service prepares and sells timber. Prior to the use of DxP, the Forest Service often used the expensive and time-consuming practice of the Forest Service marking individual trees to leave or cut with paint to ensure retention of the most desirable trees needed to meet management objectives. With DxP, a Forest Service silviculturist

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... repares a prescription describing the desired characteristics of the trees and stand to be retained following harvesting (i.e., desired end results). Using the prescription as a guide, the timber sale purchaser or stewardship contractor selects the trees to cut. Eliminating the need to mark trees in advance of cutting reduces sale preparation time and costs. Sale administration responsibilities and costs can increase, however, due to a lack of paint marks that aid the Forest Service's ability to quickly determine whether the correct trees were cut. Perspectives on the use of DxP, to date, and criteria for success are discussed by the panel.