Moving towards local-level indicators of sustainability in forest-based communities: A mixed-method approach

Forest-dependent communities can be exemplified in terms of subsistence dependence, park-based tourism dependence, or traditional logging dependence. In monitoring the sustainability of these places, researchers have struggled to develop relevant indicators responsive to their unique social, economic, and environmental conditions. In this study, we attempt to deal with these conditions by employing a quality-of-life framework in the selection of local-level indicators, and by scrutinizing these indicators in term of their relevance to specific sustainability concerns. We used workshops, an indicator evaluation framework, and survey research to identify relevant local-level indicators of sustainability in two Saskatchewan communities. Findings emphasize the need for caution in asserting the utility of ``one-size-fits-all'' approaches to community sustainability. These communities define progress toward sustainability quite differently and therefore require a unique set of progress measures.