UPDATES FROM THE NEW NATIONAL LANDSLIDE HAZARD RISK REDUCTION WORKING GROUP AND THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY COOPERATIVE LANDSLIDE HAZARD MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT GRANT PROGRAM FOR STATES, TRIBES, TERRITORIES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

We describe the implementation of a new grants program and working group for professionals to reduce landslide risk. The 2021 National Landslide Preparedness Act authorizes the U.S. Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program to carry out strategic actions articulated in the 2022 National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction: to assess, respond to, and plan for landslide hazards as well as to coordinate risk reduction efforts from the federal to local scale. Coordination activities at the federal level include two groups charged with overseeing and advising landslide hazard risk reduction activities: 1) the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Landslide Hazards and 2) the Federal Advisory Committee on Landslides. Efforts at the regional to local level include two new initiatives: 1) the Cooperative Landslide Hazard Mapping and Assessment Grant Program, and 2) the National Landslide Hazard Risk Reduction working group. The grants program provides 1–2 years of funding to state governmental agencies, Tribes, territories, or local jurisdictions to pursue landslide hazard risk reduction activities addressing the following priorities: 1) mapping and assessment, 2) planning and coordination, and 3) education and outreach. In fall 2024 the program awarded $1million in funding and is scheduled to award another $1million in spring 2025. We report on the geographic and topical distribution of awarded projects during the first 2 years of funding. Parallel to the grants program, a new working group brings together professionals working in the landslide hazard risk reduction space across a range of sectors, jurisdictions, and geographies. The working group is open to participants from state governments, Tribes, territories, and local jurisdictions, academia, community organizations, and the private sector. It is intended to serve as a mechanism for multi-level exchanges of ideas and best practices to facilitate collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and decision makers. Following an initial working group meeting in fall 2024, regular monthly meetings will be established starting in January 2025. We will also report on the distribution of participants, and initial schedule, structure, and timeline for the working group.