The economy of the Foothills Model Forest (FMF) is heavily dependent on extractive resource based industrial sectors such as forestry, oil and gas, and mining. The service sector which includes tourism is also  an important economic contributor. Dependency on a particular sector raises important questions about the region’s economy. How much will the  introduction of new, or the expansion of current industrial activities, contribute to the welfare of the region’s or community’s economy? Conversely, will the elimination or curtailment of these industries have an equally direct negative impact? Another related question revolves around whether or not the diversification and expansion of other sectors (services and tourism) will contribute to the long run sustainability of a region’s economy. An accurate measurement of the level of dependency helps to inform long term economic development strategy in a region. This report will use three methods, two established in the literature and a third developed by the authors, to measure the economic dependence of the Foothills Model Forest region and its communities on the different sectors that make up their economies.