The Vermont Geological Survey (VGS) has been engaged in assessing and inventorying landslide hazards in the state for many years; however, the magnitude of our vulnerability was not made fully clear until the July 2023 storm. After dozens of landslides were initiated by heavy precipitation and soil saturation, the VGS and its partners received requests to visit over 80 locations to assess hazards associated with slope instability. One year later, after another intense storm, the VGS responded to nearly 150 such requests. The VGS has received multiple inquiries into Vermont’s susceptibility to future high-magnitude landslide-triggering events, and specifically for maps of susceptibility. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin requiring such information in future State Hazard Mitigation Plan (SHMP) drafts. A statewide landslide susceptibility map may be useful to Regional Planning Commissions, the Vermont Department of Public Safety, local fire departments and first responders, and the general public. DEC is seeking proposals for creating a landslide susceptibility map for the entire state of Vermont for integration into the 2028 SHMP.
