The objective of a linear programming problem will be to maximize or to minimize some numerical value. This value may be the expected net present value of a project or a forest property; or it may be the cost of a project; it could also be the amount of wood produced, the expected number of visitor-days at a park, the number of endangered species that will be saved, or the amount of a particular type of habitat to be maintained. Linear programming is an extremely general technique, and its applications are limited mainly by our imaginations and our ingenuity.