Measuring and evaluating sustainable forest management (case study: Zagros forests in Ilam)

The forest as one of the renewable resources plays an important role and a suitable platform for social and economic activities. In this context, identifying the effective factors in the sustainable development of the forest and knowing the indicators and management criteria of this natural area and paying attention to the shortcomings and strengthening the abilities is one of the current needs, therefore this research tries to measure the extent and measure of the management of the sustainable development of the forest based on FMU model with 6 indicators and 48 criteria and in the form of sfm paradigm in the forests of Ilam province, to determine the management level of sustainable forest development. The statistical populations in this research are the experts and specialists of the Natural Resources Department, especially in the forestry department in Ilam Province, and the sample size was determined through the snowball method of 15 elite experts in the field of forestry in the Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of the cities of Ilam Province. The results show that out of the 6 main indicators measured, water and soil management indicators with 71.5% and laws and organizations indicators with 60.37% are at a relatively favorable level. Biodiversity indicators with 47.38 are at the average level and economic-social index with 39.33%, ecosystem index with 38.92% and stakeholder participation index with 30.6% are at a weak level based on the sfm measurement and sustainability chart which is done with human and natural considerations, the management performance in the discussion of the natural index is 49.7% and the performance of the human index in the management of the forests of the region is 43.5%, which indicates the level of achieving the management goals of sustainable development in an average level.