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Implementing the Risk Plan Active

By Reducing Risk January 23, 2020

The USGS Risk Plan is an actionable plan to ensure that USGS hazards information is delivered and incorporated into risk assessments and other products that can be used by decision makers to reduce loss. It includes 23 recommendations for capacity building, 17 case studies, and 6 project ideas.

Implementing the recommendations of the Risk Plan has included establishing a Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice and providing seed funding to risk-focused projects. 

Read the plan
road with lava encroaching in two places
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Lava on road. (Public domain.)

Risk Community of Practice

The purpose of the Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice is to convene like-minded scientists and staff from across USGS to discuss issues relevant to risk research and applications. Monthly virtual meetings include a mix of presentations, training, discussions, and announcements about relevant resources, events, and activities.

Risk Awards

Every year, the USGS issues a bureau-wide request for proposals to award seed funding to projects that focus on innovative risk research and applications. Project teams interact with the USGS Risk Community of Practice; foster cross-center, cross-mission area, and interdisciplinary research; strengthen user engagement; demonstrate lessons learned; and, identify new resources. Below is a list of awarded projects.

2022 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators

  • Mapping Semantic Networks in Risk Informed Decision-Making to Improve Integrated Science Communication

    Katharine Dahm, Rocky Mountain Region ​

  • Stakeholder Engagement for Natural Hazards Investigations in the Caribbean (SENHIC) (Co-funded with USAID-BHA)

    Donya Frank-Gilchrist, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center ​

  • Flood Risk and Reward: Quantifying differences in flood events under alternative management strategies in vulnerable communities of the Cape Fear River Basin, North Carolina

    Laura Gurley, South Atlantic Water Science Center ​

  • Drought Vulnerability Assessment of Public Water Supplies in West Virginia

    Matthew Kearns, Virginia-West Virginia Water Science Center ​

  • Historical Trends and Future Projections of Snow in Glacier National Park and Vicinity: Implications for avalanches, water resources, and habitat

    Erich Peitzsch, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center ​

  • Co-production of satellite-derived vegetation health reports with Marshall Islands stakeholder communities (Co-funded with USAID-BHA)

    Gabriel Senay, Earth Resources and Observation Science Center ​

  • When the earth sends you a trend request: Developing a social media listening platform to assist multi-hazard response and research

    Wendy Stovall, Volcano Science Center ​

2021 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators 

  • Co-production of lahar hazard products with Mount Shasta emergency managers and communities

    Jessica Ball, Volcano Science Center 

  • User needs assessment of southern California emergency managers to improve post-fire debris flow inundation hazard products

    Katherine Barnhart, Geologic Hazards Science Center 

  • Difficult disease decisions: how to reduce risk when dealing with multiple competing objectives and opposing risk tolerances

    Graziella DiRenzo, Massachusetts Cooperative Research Unit

  • Wind erosion risk on Navajo Nation lands of the Colorado PlateauSeth Munson, Southwest Biological Science Center  

  • Coastal Vulnerability Assessments in Puerto Rico: focused stakeholder engagement to foster equity and inclusion

    Legna Torres-Garcia, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center 

  • Predicting risk of plant invasion following wildfires in the United StatesJanet Prevey, Fort Collins Science Center 

  • Perceived and realized risks to vegetation communities on lands managed along the US-Mexico border: identifying restoration needs in human-altered drylands

    Daniel Winkler, Southwest Biological Science Center

2020 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators 

  • User perspectives on volcanic risk: Evaluating the effectiveness of co-produced risk communication products intended for public outreach

    Joseph Bard, Volcano Science Center
  • Developing community-scale earthquake hazards and risk modeling in Westport, WA

    Alex Grant, Earthquake Science Center
  • Science translation: Bridging user engagement with product communication and design

    Emily Himmelstoss, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
  • Open innovation playbook for risk

    Sophia Liu, Science and Decisions Center
  • Integrating decision analysis and risk analysis: Using utility theory to help DOI decision makers understand their context-specific risk tolerance

    Michael Runge, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
  • Evaluation criteria to measure the impact of USGS real-time web applications for flood decision support and risk communication

    Sachin Shah, Texas Water Science Center
  • Answering to stakeholders: Sensitivity of liquefaction hazard to groundwater change from sea-level rise

    Anne Wein, Western Geographic Science Center

2019 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators

  • Quantifying Rock Fall Hazard and Risk to Roadways in National Parks: Yosemite National Park Pilot Project 

    Brian Collins, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
  • The State of Our Coasts: Coastal Change Hazards Stakeholder Engagement & User Need Assessment 

    Juliette Finzi-Hart, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Manhattan Beach, CA
  • Re-visiting Bsal risk: how 3 years of pathogen surveillance, research, and regulatory action change our understanding of invasion risk of the exotic amphibian pathogen Batrochochytrium salamandrivorans

    Dan Grear, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI
  • Assessing the Risk of Global Copper Supply Disruption from Earthquakes 

    Kishor Jaiswal, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Golden, CO
  • Communications of risk - uranium in groundwater in northeastern Washington state 

    Sue Kahle, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA
  • Cascading communication: exploring how scientific research affects policy and earthquake preparedness communication in areas of induced seismicity 

    Sara McBride, Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
  • Hazard Exposure Analyst Tool (HEAT) 

    Jason Sherba, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
  • Ecological Forecasts for Risk Management 

    Jake Weltzin, National Phenology Network, Fort Collins, CO 
  • Overview

    The USGS Risk Plan is an actionable plan to ensure that USGS hazards information is delivered and incorporated into risk assessments and other products that can be used by decision makers to reduce loss. It includes 23 recommendations for capacity building, 17 case studies, and 6 project ideas.

    Implementing the recommendations of the Risk Plan has included establishing a Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice and providing seed funding to risk-focused projects. 

    Read the plan
    road with lava encroaching in two places
    Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
    Lava on road. (Public domain.)

    Risk Community of Practice

    The purpose of the Risk Research and Applications Community of Practice is to convene like-minded scientists and staff from across USGS to discuss issues relevant to risk research and applications. Monthly virtual meetings include a mix of presentations, training, discussions, and announcements about relevant resources, events, and activities.

    Risk Awards

    Every year, the USGS issues a bureau-wide request for proposals to award seed funding to projects that focus on innovative risk research and applications. Project teams interact with the USGS Risk Community of Practice; foster cross-center, cross-mission area, and interdisciplinary research; strengthen user engagement; demonstrate lessons learned; and, identify new resources. Below is a list of awarded projects.

    2022 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators

    • Mapping Semantic Networks in Risk Informed Decision-Making to Improve Integrated Science Communication

      Katharine Dahm, Rocky Mountain Region ​

    • Stakeholder Engagement for Natural Hazards Investigations in the Caribbean (SENHIC) (Co-funded with USAID-BHA)

      Donya Frank-Gilchrist, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center ​

    • Flood Risk and Reward: Quantifying differences in flood events under alternative management strategies in vulnerable communities of the Cape Fear River Basin, North Carolina

      Laura Gurley, South Atlantic Water Science Center ​

    • Drought Vulnerability Assessment of Public Water Supplies in West Virginia

      Matthew Kearns, Virginia-West Virginia Water Science Center ​

    • Historical Trends and Future Projections of Snow in Glacier National Park and Vicinity: Implications for avalanches, water resources, and habitat

      Erich Peitzsch, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center ​

    • Co-production of satellite-derived vegetation health reports with Marshall Islands stakeholder communities (Co-funded with USAID-BHA)

      Gabriel Senay, Earth Resources and Observation Science Center ​

    • When the earth sends you a trend request: Developing a social media listening platform to assist multi-hazard response and research

      Wendy Stovall, Volcano Science Center ​

    2021 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators 

    • Co-production of lahar hazard products with Mount Shasta emergency managers and communities

      Jessica Ball, Volcano Science Center 

    • User needs assessment of southern California emergency managers to improve post-fire debris flow inundation hazard products

      Katherine Barnhart, Geologic Hazards Science Center 

    • Difficult disease decisions: how to reduce risk when dealing with multiple competing objectives and opposing risk tolerances

      Graziella DiRenzo, Massachusetts Cooperative Research Unit

    • Wind erosion risk on Navajo Nation lands of the Colorado PlateauSeth Munson, Southwest Biological Science Center  

    • Coastal Vulnerability Assessments in Puerto Rico: focused stakeholder engagement to foster equity and inclusion

      Legna Torres-Garcia, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center 

    • Predicting risk of plant invasion following wildfires in the United StatesJanet Prevey, Fort Collins Science Center 

    • Perceived and realized risks to vegetation communities on lands managed along the US-Mexico border: identifying restoration needs in human-altered drylands

      Daniel Winkler, Southwest Biological Science Center

    2020 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators 

    • User perspectives on volcanic risk: Evaluating the effectiveness of co-produced risk communication products intended for public outreach

      Joseph Bard, Volcano Science Center
    • Developing community-scale earthquake hazards and risk modeling in Westport, WA

      Alex Grant, Earthquake Science Center
    • Science translation: Bridging user engagement with product communication and design

      Emily Himmelstoss, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
    • Open innovation playbook for risk

      Sophia Liu, Science and Decisions Center
    • Integrating decision analysis and risk analysis: Using utility theory to help DOI decision makers understand their context-specific risk tolerance

      Michael Runge, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
    • Evaluation criteria to measure the impact of USGS real-time web applications for flood decision support and risk communication

      Sachin Shah, Texas Water Science Center
    • Answering to stakeholders: Sensitivity of liquefaction hazard to groundwater change from sea-level rise

      Anne Wein, Western Geographic Science Center

    2019 Risk Research Projects and Lead Principal Investigators

    • Quantifying Rock Fall Hazard and Risk to Roadways in National Parks: Yosemite National Park Pilot Project 

      Brian Collins, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
    • The State of Our Coasts: Coastal Change Hazards Stakeholder Engagement & User Need Assessment 

      Juliette Finzi-Hart, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Manhattan Beach, CA
    • Re-visiting Bsal risk: how 3 years of pathogen surveillance, research, and regulatory action change our understanding of invasion risk of the exotic amphibian pathogen Batrochochytrium salamandrivorans

      Dan Grear, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI
    • Assessing the Risk of Global Copper Supply Disruption from Earthquakes 

      Kishor Jaiswal, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Golden, CO
    • Communications of risk - uranium in groundwater in northeastern Washington state 

      Sue Kahle, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA
    • Cascading communication: exploring how scientific research affects policy and earthquake preparedness communication in areas of induced seismicity 

      Sara McBride, Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
    • Hazard Exposure Analyst Tool (HEAT) 

      Jason Sherba, Western Geographic Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
    • Ecological Forecasts for Risk Management 

      Jake Weltzin, National Phenology Network, Fort Collins, CO