Ranchers who have experienced livestock losses due to wolf depredations are able to apply for compensation from the state, but some ranchers — such as the Farrells in Grand County — say they have faced threats and harassment from the public after applying to the wolf compensation fund.

This spurred Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, to sponsor a bill to keep the personal information of those seeking reimbursement shielded from the public.

Despite pushback from organizations such as the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition regarding First Amendment rights, Senate Bill 25-038 passed with bipartisan support in January. Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law in March.

Under the bill, members of the public and media aren’t able to see ranchers’ names when requesting compensation records for wolf losses through the Colorado Open Records Act.

At the Colorado Press Association’s annual conference Aug. 15 in Thornton, Roberts was recognized for his work amending the bill to allow for other information to be included, such as the number and dollar amount of claims that are settled, pending or denied and the reason for denial.

After receiving the award, Roberts told Sky-Hi News that he worked on the bill with the Colorado Press Association, which “brought forward valid First Amendment concerns and worked with me to craft an amendment to the bill that allows for the press to do important reporting on wolf depredations but still protect the individual privacy of Coloradans.”

Roberts added that the idea for the bill came from his constituents in Grand and Jackson counties.