National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm. A.Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I.Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. Wm. A.Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Landslides are a component of those agents of nature that transport rock and soil from mountains or hillsides to streams, lakes and seas, where new sedimentary rocks begin to form. Therefore, as well as destructive forces that can be induced by human activity, landslides are part of the earth’s natural cyclic process of uplift, erosion, and sedimentation.

With the growth of human population and the increasing habitation of ever-steeper slopes and higher altitudes, Man is both experiencing the effects of landslides and causing landslides with increasing frequency. These adverse effects include loss of life, injury, and damage to public and private works, as well as environmental damage. Accordingly, it is an opportune time to address the hazard posed by landslides, and to assess strategies to mitigate that hazard.

The present report is an interim statement addressing the U.S. Geological Survey’s proposal for a national landslide hazards mitigation strategy. The scope of this interim report is constrained to assessing whether all the partners necessary for such a national strategy have been identified by the proposal—conclusions and recommendations to address the remainder of the statement of task will be presented in the committee’s final report (e.g., will include comments regarding effective partnership implementation; funding strategies required for an effective mitigation program; and the balance between different components of a national strategy). In addition, in this interim report the committee offers a number of comments intended as interim guidance for the U.S. Geological Survey as it continues to plan a national strategy.

The committee is pleased to acknowledge the many members of the interested community who, at short notice, briefed the committee or provided other information and guidance (see Appendix A). As chair of the committee, I applaud the members of the committee for their hard work in a short time to prepare this interim report.

J.Freeman Gilbert

Chair

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Genevieve Atwood, Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City

Richard E.Goodman, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (emeritus), University of California, Berkeley

George Machan, Cornforth Consultants, Portland, OR

George A.Thompson, Department of Geophysics (emeritus), Stanford University, CA.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William L.Fisher, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin. Appointed by the National Research Council, the coordinator was responsible for ensuring that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.