Human Wellbeing Measures in Hood Canal
In 2012, the Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) collaborated with the Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma (PSI), to develop human wellbeing indicators related to the Hood Canal natural environment (Biedenweg and Hanein 2012). Using literature review, stakeholder interviews, and stakeholder workshops, PSI recommended 26 indicators representing seven domains of wellbeing: Economic, Physical, Psychological, Social, Cultural, and Governance. The HCCC selected six of these indicators for initial monitoring of human relationships to the local environment. The purpose of these indicators is to
In 2012, the Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) collaborated with the Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma (PSI), to develop human wellbeing indicators related to the Hood Canal natural environment (Biedenweg and Hanein 2012). Using literature review, stakeholder interviews, and stakeholder workshops, PSI recommended 26 indicators representing seven domains of wellbeing: Economic, Physical, Psychological, Social, Cultural, and Governance. The HCCC selected six of these indicators for initial monitoring of human relationships to the local environment. The purpose of these indicators is to capture a broad image of the “State of the Hood Canal” that represents both ecological and social systems. Eventually, these indicators can be monitored over time to evaluate resource management projects and select the most appropriate strategies according to both human and ecological trends.
In the fall of 2014, we collected baseline data for four subjective indicators: accessing locally harvested products, experiencing positive emotions, working with community members to solve natural resource issues, and knowledge gained from different communication sources (Appendix I). This report describes the methods and results for this effort.
|
Indicator |
Question |
|
Screening Question |
Do you live or own property in the Hood Canal region? |
|
Additional Demographics |
Where in the Hood Canal region do you live or own property? |
|
Access to locally harvested products(a) |
If you like to gather or hunt wild local food resources (e.g., gathering berries or crab fishing), how often are you able to harvest as much as you'd like? |
|
Access to locally harvested products(b) |
Which of the following factors most prevents you from harvesting more wild local food (e.g., digging for clams or gathering mushrooms)? |
|
Positive emotions |
In the past year, how often have you felt positive emotions (such as awe, inspiration, or appreciation) when spending time outdoors around Hood Canal? |
|
Communication |
In the past year, from which of the following sources have you learned the most about Hood Canal environmental or recreational topics? |
|
Strong Communities |
In the past year, how often have you worked with other residents to manage resources, prepare cultural events, solve community challenges, or share harvested goods? |
