Value-Based Practices for Whole Communities
There are many ways to create whole communities. With Whole Measures, we aim to describe and assess ten sets of practices that reflect a vision for whole communities seen through the land lens, grounded in our values identified and relevant to those groups working with, for and on the land. Within each domain are a set of practices for the conservation, restoration and stewardship of land that will nurture the larger set of healthy relationships that make up a whole community.
Justice and Fairness
- Providing equal access to land
- Acknowledging injustice
- Engaging the whole community
- Sharing power
Relationships Between People and Land
- Increasing direct access to land
- Providing learning and inspiration
- Respecting long-term relationships to land
- Protecting the emotional and spiritual value of land
Community-Building
- Creating public space for community engagement
- Uniting the community
- Empowering the community
- Building new grassroots networks
Healthy Ecosystems
- Conserving or restoring healthy wildlife habitats and corridors
- Conserving or restoring water quality
- Promoting a land ethic
- Protecting or enhancing biodiversity on the land.
Healthy Habitat for People
- Promoting local, healthy food
- Offering safe opportunities for recreation
- Preventing or remediating pollution
- Protecting safe drinking water
Stewardship
- Providing for long-term commitment
- Reflecting community values
- Helping community care about larger landscape systems
- Depending upon local community
- Responding to climate change
Economic Vitality
- Ensuring long-term economic vitality
- Supporting active relationships between conservation and working lands
- Promoting local, land-based products
- Promoting sustainable land-based livelihoods
Community Resilience
- Balancing conservation with community housing goals
- Balancing conservation with transportation needs
- Maintaining infrastructure necessary for accomplishing social goals.
- Supporting “smart growth” principles and practices
- Promoting resilience to hurricane, flood, drought and wildfire damage.
Power of Story
- Taking time to listen and learn
- Providing the forum for community members to tell their stories
- Respecting the stories and lessons of the past
- Reconciling social and cultural ties between people and the land
Being in Service
- Engaging with existing community-based organizations
- Sharing decision-making authority with the community
- Building cultural competency
- Building trust and authentic relationships.
- Addressing climate change