Cultural, geographical, and sectoral refinements to measures of forest industry dependence

Abstract

Economic base analysis is a limited but useful tool for measuring forest dependence. It cannot measure the full range of forest values (e.g., subsistence, amenity, bequest, and existence values). However, economic base analysis utilizes widely available census data to provide accurate measures of communities dependent on industrial forest activity. This analysis includes Indian reserves and rural census subdivisions previously excluded in studies of economic base dependence. Economic base dependence measures are further improved by including a transfer payment sector. This paper presents findings of forest industry dependence measures using 1991 census data. Results show that including Indian reserves and other rural census subdivisions in the analysis increases the number of forest industry dependent places and population in the Prairie Provinces. The addition of the transfer payment sector to the economic base provides a more comprehensive account of the sources that contribute to the economic diversity of rural locations. These geographical and sectoral refinements to economic base calculations result in a more accurate accounting of forest industry dependence.