Ogilvie's paper argues for an approach to air, water, and soil conservation that goes beyond "no net loss" of quality or function to "net gain." That is, changes to the environment should, over time, bring about improvements in the quality and function of air, water, and soil in the Central Ontario Zone. The principle requires monitoring environmental indicators, and the paper suggests 10 potential indicators that could be used. Ogilvie also looks at major trends in air, water, and soil quality, their current and long-term effects, and proposes solutions for each area.