Rangelands, as social–ecological systems, are influenced by interactions between management structures and the stakeholders’ social networks and evidence indicates that users’ participation, along with trust- and cooperation-based relationships, plays a decisive role in the sustainability of these systems’ management. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of implementing participatory rangeland management plans and analyzing social network structures in changing and improvingin a set of economic, social, rangeland, and educational indicators among rangeland users. The results were analyzed and reported within three dimensions: socio-economic, rangeland vegetation cover, and educational–extension, in the Nahramian watershed of Shazand County. This research was conducted using a descriptive–analytical approach. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews with rangeland users, review of documents of the Natural Resources Department, and social network analysis. The statistical population consisted of rangeland users from ten villages in the study area, and data obtained from 240 respondents were analyzed. Descriptive results showed that the mean scoreof respondents’ answers in the socio-economic indicators was 3.83 on a five-point Likert scale, indicating a generally positive tendency toward the effects of participatory management. The results of the chi-square test demonstrated that the implementation of participatory rangeland management plans had a significant positive effect on indicators of socio-economic (χ² = 3.84), rangeland vegetation cover (χ² = 3.58), and extension–educational (χ² = 3.75) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, findings from the social network analysis revealed a high density and cohesion of trust and participation based ties among rangeland users and relevant institutions, which played a decisive role in the success of participatory actions. Overall, the results indicate that integrating participatory management with the strengthening of local social networks can contribute to improving vegetation conditions, stakeholders’ livelihoods, participation, and trust in sustainable rangeland management.