Field testing of a criteria and indicators system for sustainable forest management at the local level. Case study results concerning the sustainability of the private forest Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve in Ontario, Canada

The concept of criteria and indicators (C&I) for sustainable forest management (SFM) requires further development and testing at the local level. The research objectives were to develop and test a C&I system for SFM, which consists of a generic C&I set for the local level, which shows applicability for the SFM of temperate forests internationally, and can be utilized as a decision-making support system for forest management. The case study took place at the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve (Haliburton Forest) in Ontario, Canada.The methods applied for the development and testing of the C&I system included: the development of the generic set of C&I for SFM at the local level; the identification of verifiers and norms (using three classes of indicators assessment representing different sustainability trends); the testing of the generic C&I set as a case study; the development of indicator measurement databases; the assessment of the state of the forest and its management; and the application of adaptive management procedures. The overall sustainability assessment was based on a hierarchical rating method (multi-criteria analysis rating method without assigning weight factors) applied to all principles, criteria, and indicators.The C&I system consists of a sequence of generic modules which can be applied internationally in temperate forests while specifying and addressing local conditions. These modules are: the formulation of goals and objectives; the identification of local forest management standards; the application of the generic C&I set; the assessment of C&I performance; and the application of adaptive management procedures. The generic C&I set consists of 4 principles, 16 criteria, and 58 indicators. Although field-testing results are available for all 58 indicators, in the context of this paper, only data of four example indicators, one for each principle, is presented.The Haliburton Forest shows a very good sustainability assessment result with a sustainability assessment score of 89.9%. About 41 indicators out of 58 show a positive, the remaining 17 indicators a neutral sustainability trend. The C&I system for SFM at the local level is suitable for defining, measuring, assessing, and monitoring the sustainability of forest management.