The Sagehen project is located in the 8,000-acre Sagehen Basin in the Truckee District on the east side of the Tahoe National Forest. The project area is located just outside Truckee, California – one of the fastest growing communities in northern California. The vegetation is primarily mixed conifer, red fir, eastside pine, and pine plantation but also includes fens, bogs, riparian systems, meadows, and aspen. The elevation ranges from 6,200-7,600 feet with one primary access route.

The area is designated as Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) 3 and has densely vegetated stands at risk of wildfire and insect attacks. Values at risk included the 320-acre Sagehen Creek Field Station; a variety of historic and prehistoric heritage resource sites; federally threatened and sensitive species, including the California spotted owl, northern goshawk, willow flycatcher, and American marten ; and unique and possibly limiting habitats such as fens, bogs, riparian meadows, and aspen stands.

Project participants included the USDA Forest Service; the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, the University of California at Davis, the University of Nevada at Reno, and Sacramento State University; and various local Truckee groups, including the local watershed council and local environmental groups. The project used the fire behavior models FVS, FARSITE, and FlamMap to evaluate the effectiveness of fuel treatments in reducing fire hazard in the Sagehen Creek Basin.