Natural Hazards Research and Land-Use Planning Responses in Mountainous Terrain: The Town of Vail, Colorado Rocky Mountains, U.S.A.^∗

Abstract

This paper seeks to demonstrate the planning responses of a rapidly growing mountain resort town to the development of a reconnaissance map of avalanche and debris flow hazards undertaken by a university research team. Vail, Colorado, can be described as a mushroom resort town. Rapid growth up to 1973 occurred without concern for potential natural hazards on the adjacent mountain slopes. The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, at the request of the town of Vail, undertook natural hazard reconnaissance mapping in 1973 prior to the existence of state or county natural hazard legislation. The paper demonstrates the various decision-making processes that were either initiated or aided as a result of local hazard evaluation. These included changes in the local building code, land annexation, and dismantling of a partially completed multimillion-dollar hotel complex. The impacts of the hazard mapping are demonstrated by reproduction of the Vail township's annexation and building code maps. Subsequent State legislation (Colorado House Bill 1041, 1974) has presented a firmer base for hazard zoning. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the early initiative shows that intelligent and economic, as well as relatively safe, land-use decision making can be achieved by other mountain communities in states currently lacking hazard zoning legislation, given a combination of applied research, local awareness, and wise local government. The project was part of a program sponsored by the NASA Office of University Affairs to apply remote-sensing techniques and space technology to the solution of terrestrial problems.