Landslide Hazards and Planning

1

• Landslide Hazards and Planning
• The U. S. Geological Survey and
• The American Planning Associations
• Project To Reduce Landslide Hazards
• Paula L. Gori,
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Reston, Virginia

2
Landslide Hazards and Planning

• Todays talk will present the new report and
  explain the process that we used to formulate
  the report.
• Authors of the report
• are Jim Schwab,
• Paula Gori and
• Sanjay Jeer.

3
Guidebook entitled Landslide Hazards and
Planning

• Goal of the report is to to increase planners
  awareness and understanding of landslide hazards.
• Planners will incorporate this new understanding
  into the planning process.
• Losses from landslides will be reduced.

4
Good land-use planning reduces losses from
landslide hazards

• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the
  American Planning Association (APA) are working
  together to inform land-use planners about
  landslide hazards.

5
Why USGS and APA?

• USGS is the recognized authority for
  understanding landslide hazards in the US.
• USGS has the responsibility to issue disaster
  warnings.
• APA is the professional society for land-use
  planners and planning officials. Among its
  responsibilities is to educate its 38,000
  members. An area of concern is safe growth.

6
USGS/APA partnership to educate land-use planners

• A key mission of the USGS is to minimize loss of
  life and property from natural disasters.
• An APA goal is to provide planners with
  information about innovative and effective
  planning practice.
• USGS partnered with APA because of its ability to
  reach its extensive membership with quality
  outreach products.

7
Good Planning Needs to Incorporate Understanding
of Natural Hazards
8
Why Is the Report Necessary

• Most planners in the US do not adequately address
  natural hazards.
• Planners lack adequate technical information and
  resources to identify and map hazards.
• Some state and local governments lack adequate
  authority to regulate hazards.

9
Landslides are a costly hazard in the United
States

• Landslides and debris flows result in 25-50
  deaths and 3.6 billion dollars (2001 dollars) in
  damages each year.
• The greatest damage occurs in the Appalachian
  Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific
  Coast.
• 1997-1998 el Nino rainstorms in the San Francisco
  Bay area produced thousands of landslides and
  caused over 150 million in direct public and
  private losses.

10
Land-Use Planners make important decisions that
minimize landslide costs

• Capital improvement plans for public facilities
  and public utilities, especially transportation
• Subdivision, siting and grading plans
• Comprehensive plans and zoning

11
Planners have tools to control landslides

• Regulations
• Geotechnical site analysis
• Grading plans
• Zoning and subdivision plans
• Geologic hazard abatement districts
• Transfer of development rights
• Disclosure ordinances

12
Planners can minimize human activities that cause
landslides

• Poor construction of transportation and other
  utilities
• Poor construction practices on hillsides
• Poor maintenance of irrigation and septic systems
• Poor logging practices and deforestation
• Wildland fire

13
The landslide report addresses information
planners need to reduce landslide hazards

• Primer and Overview of landslide hazards
• Planning tools for landslide hazards
• Regulatory tools such as zoning and site plans
• Other land-use tools such as geographic-informatio
  n systems (GIS) and GHADs
• Case studies of cities and regions

14
Guidebook publication distribution techniques

• Released as a Planning Advisory Service Report
  to subscribers, libraries, planning firms and
  universities.
• For sale through APA http//www.planning.org/book
  service
• Posted on American Planning Association website
  http//www.planning.org/Landslides.

15
Other outreach efforts

• Journal articles.
• University curriculums.
• Emergency managers training courses.
• APA annual conference sessions
• April 2006 San Antonio. Texas

16
CONCLUSION

• Partnership between the USGS and APA has
  increased awareness of landslide hazards.
• Guidebook is written in understandable language.
• The guidebook is an example of cooperation
  between a scientific agency and a professional
  society sharing common interests.
• The distribution and outreach efforts ensure the
  successful use of the guidebook.

17
Use of Landslide Information in Oregon

• USGS would like to assess the use of the
  Landslide Report by communities in Oregon.
• USGS would like to increase the use of landslide
  hazard information throughout Oregon.
• Contact Paula Gori pgori_at_usgs.gov 703 620-3156
• USGS landslides website http//landslides_at_usgs.
  gov