Social science

This report presents results of the 2024 survey to monitor the subjective human wellbeing Vital Signs prepared for the Puget Sound Partnership by Oregon State University. The specific categories of human wellbeing covered in this report include good governance of natural resources, local foods, sound stewardship, nature-based work, psychological wellbeing, cultural practices and traditions, sense of place, outdoor activity, and life satisfaction.

A 2025 article in the journal Environmental Management analyzes the use of structured decision making (SDM) with four different watershed groups to understand the governance factors that facilitated the use of SDM as a decision support tool.

A 2025 article in the journal Conservation Biology examines the integration of human well-being indicators into regional conservation efforts.

A summary report on perceptions of environmental and climate change based on the 2022 human wellbeing Vital Sign survey. This research was funded by the Puget Sound Partnership and led by members in Oregon State University’s Human Dimensions Lab.

This report presents results of the 2022 survey to monitor the human wellbeing Vital Signs prepared for the Puget Sound Partnership by Oregon State University.

Treaty rights are critical to the sovereignity of Puget Sound area Tribes and are deeply connected to natural resource management. Five landmark treaties in our region were signed during a three-year period from 1854 to 1856 and continue to drive policy to this day.