Colorado lawmakers consider hiding names of ranchers seeking wolf compensation from public

The names of ranchers seeking compensation for wolves killing their livestock could be hidden from public view if a newly proposed bill is approved by the Colorado Legislature next year.

Under the bill, members of the public and the media would not be able to see ranchers’ names when requesting compensation records for wolf attacks, also known as depredations, through Colorado’s open records law.

“Many ranchers and livestock owners are hesitant to file depredation applications because they fear their personal information will be exposed to the public,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Frisco Democrat who will be the bill’s lead sponsor.

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The Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee approved the bill at a hearing Wednesday.

Under Proposition 114, the ballot measure that voters narrowly approved in 2020 to reintroduce gray wolves to the Western Slope, the state is required to compensate ranchers for any losses or injuries due to wolf attacks, also known as depredations.

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Compensation, which can be as high as $15,000 per head of livestock or working dog, is only awarded when it is proven that a depredation was caused by a wolf.

There have been 16 confirmed wolf attacks so far, but only three cases have resulted in compensation from the state’s compensation fund, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.In most of the confirmed cases, no complaints were filed.

Don Gittleson, a Jackson County rancher who has lost livestock to wolf attacks, said in a June interview that ranchers also may not file claims because they have to show receipts showing the animal’s value, and they may not have that data yet.

Ranchers could also wait until the end of the year to complete their applications, hoping that will limit the amount of paperwork required, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson said.

Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said the organization’s board has not yet taken a position on the bill.

“It’s important for journalists and the public to be able to examine government programs that involve the disbursement of public funds,” he said. “If a lot of the data is inaccessible to the public, it’s much harder to do that.”

The department has already removed personal information from CORA applications, but this bill enshrines that practice in law. The bill would also apply to claims for other animals, such as bears and mountain lions.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the 10-person committee, which is bipartisan and made up of members of the House and Senate.

The bill, which will begin in the Senate, will be considered in the next legislative session, which begins in January.