A keyword search of the Operator Information Report for Nevada turned up five instances of “Higbee,” all with addresses in Alamo.
- EDWIN E HIGBEE, JR, Authorization 2705030
- HIGBEE CHILDREN’S TRUST, Authorization 2705033
- VARLIN S HIGBEE, Authorization 2700038
- VAUGHN M HIGBEE, Authorization 2703324
- HIGBEE BROTHERS, Authorization 2705122
Varlin Higbee, third permittee on the list, was recently appointed to the WHBAB representing livestock management organizations. He joins Tammy Pearson, a permittee from Minersville, UT, who was seated in early 2021.
The Allotment Information Report ties Authorization #2700038 to three allotments in the Basin and Range National Monument:
- South Coal Valley
- Black Bluff
- Black Horse
The Allotment Master Report puts all three in the Custodial category, condition unknown.
Allotments are usually placed in Custodial if public lands represent less than 10% of the total acreage and/or 10% of the available forage.
In this case, public lands provide all of the acreage and all of the forage.
The National Data Viewer indicates that most of Black Bluff lies within the Seaman Range HA, the lawful home of wild horses, along with the eastern third of South Coal Valley. Click on map to open in new tab.
Higbee shares the allotments with others, including relatives, so his personal financial interests and those of his family will likely outweigh any concern for wild horses.
RELATED: WHBAB Vacancies Filled.
Western Horse Watchers Association 