Colorado ranchers who file for state compensation over wolf attacks would have their name, address and business information hidden from open records requests under a bill being advanced by Colorado lawmakers at the Capitol. 

Senate Bill 38 was approved unanimously by a bipartisan Senate committee on Thursday after it received initial approval from an interim committee that met before the beginning of the 2025 session. 

The legislation is being sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, whose central and northern mountain district has been the epicenter of the state’s controversial wolf reintroduction program, which was approved by voters in 2020. 

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The bill is also being sponsored by House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat. 

With continued reports of wolf attacks on livestock, Roberts said he’s heard from ranchers in his district who are afraid of seeking payouts from the state because it would mean having their name and personal information made public. 

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“There is fear that some of the advocates on the other side of this issue might want to confront that rancher and potentially harass them or give them a hard time for their animals being killed by wolves or for requesting compensation,” Roberts said. 

As part of the voter-approved reintroduction plan, ranchers can receive state compensation if a documented wolf attack has occurred. Roberts said it isn’t fair that some ranchers may not be seeking financial aid because of potential harassment. 

“No matter where you fall on the wolf reintroduction issue, I hope you can support that somebody should have their privacy protected for simply accessing a government program that they are legally entitled to,” Roberts said. 

Since the state first released wolves in December 2023, there have been 17 documented attacks. Three of those have resulted in paid claims totaling $3,855 while another eight are pending, according to the most recent information from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 

Ranchers in Grand County recently submitted claims totaling around $582,000 in livestock losses related to wolf attacks. 

Information on how much money was given for each claim would still be public under the bill. 

Representatives for agriculture groups spoke in support of Senate Bill 38 during Thursday’s hearing. 

“After you suffer a loss of any kind, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your information will be released to the public and potentially be used against you or be used to make you a spectacle,” said Tyler Garrett, director of government relations for the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. 

“We believe that this is a good fix to an issue that will protect individuals during a trying time,” he added. 

Transparency advocates have expressed reservations about the bill. 

“Public funds are being used to compensate people, not just for damage caused by gray wolves but damage caused by any wildlife, and there should be transparency to prevent and reduce the risk of abuse and fraud,” said Jeff Roberts, executive director for the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. 

“Transparency is also key to ensuring that agency decisions are made equitably and according to the law,” he said, adding that shielding names and other information “makes scrutiny and accountability much more difficult to achieve.” 

Several amendments were adopted during Thursday’s hearing clarifying what information would not be shielded. 

That includes data on the counties where claims are being made and information on wolf attacks, such as site assessment data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.