Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Compensation Privacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee adopts amendments, advances bill to protect ranchers' personal data in wildlife compensation claims
Summary
Senate Bill 38 would exempt personally identifying information of individuals who apply for wildlife (including wolf) damage compensation from public disclosure under CORA while preserving aggregated and site assessment data; the committee adopted clarifying amendments and advanced the bill 6–0.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advanced Senate Bill 38 after adopting three sponsor amendments to clarify the bill's effect on public records and data disclosure. Sponsor Senator Roberts said the bill seeks to protect the personal information of people filing wildlife damage compensation claims — including for wolf depredations — while maintaining government transparency on aggregate program data.
Senator Roberts told the committee that some ranchers "were uncomfortable and nervous about filling out those compensation claims" because claim materials could be subject to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and allow the public to learn a claimant's name and address. He said the bill would not prevent claimants from speaking publicly if they chose to do so, but would allow them to submit claims without mandatory public disclosure of personal identifiers.
Supporters from multiple agricultural organizations testified in favor. Tyler Garrett, director of government relations for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, urged passage, saying "the last thing that you wanna worry about is whether or not your information will be released to the public." Ashley House, vice president of strategy and advocacy for Colorado Farm Bureau, and Erin Carney, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association, also urged support. Merritt Linke, a Grand County commissioner and stockgrower, and other local officials said privacy protections would reduce producers' fear of harassment or trespass after depredations.
At the same time, transparency advocates and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) worked with the sponsor to preserve program accountability. Jeff Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition urged amendments to ensure that site assessment facts and aggregated data (for example by county and by counts/amounts) remain available to the public for oversight and analysis. CPW Deputy Director Reid DeWalt testified that CPW already withholds personal information for wolf claims but sought clarifying language so the agency could continue to release depredation data, site assessments, and other program details needed for public understanding.
The committee adopted three sponsor amendments (L001, L002, L003). L001 replaced the term "claimant" with "person who makes compensation claims" and clarified that the names of individuals and addresses are personal information. It also specified that recommended nonlethal conflict‑minimization measures themselves are not exempt from disclosure. L002 clarified that aggregated county‑level data, counts, payment amounts, and other non‑identifying fields may be released for public reporting. L003 made conforming cross‑references in CORA. Witnesses from the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the press association indicated the amendments addressed their concerns; CPW and the Colorado Department of Agriculture also moved to supportive positions with the clarifications.
After the amendment phase, the committee voted 6 to 0 to advance the bill to the Committee of the Whole. Sponsors and agencies said the changes are meant to protect the privacy and safety of producers applying for legally available compensation while preserving the ability for the public and press to assess program performance and accountability.
