"wolves inhabiting wilderness cost little to society except for the dispersers they generate that pass through or colonize agricultural land."(818)

"Because Minnesota’s wilderness and semi-wilderness are saturated with wolves, the only remaining areas of the state left for the wolf population to colonize are primarily agricultural. Thus, it is likely that the increase in rate of depredations on livestock will continue and even accelerate."(818)

"The total population from 2001-2005 would cost a projected $460,783 per year in depredation expenses (control costs and compensation payed). Wolves not only incur costs; they also bring a strong positive value to Minnesota in the form of ecotourism by way of the International Wolf Center, which contributes an estimated $3 million annually to the local economy (Schaller 1996)."(820)

"Most of the increase in the Minnesota wolf population has been, and will continue to be, through range expansion. Minnesota wolves are dispersing long distances through and into agricultural areas (Licht and fritts 1994, Mech et al. 1995), and they are learning to tolerate high human disturbance even around dens and rendezvous sites (Thiel et al. 1998). As the wolf range expands, the cost of killing each depredating wolf becomes higher, because controllers cannot continue to operate from a central headquarters, and a reverse economy of scale results."(821)

"To control wolf populations, some 28-53% of the population would have to be taken each year (Mech 1970, Peterson et al. 1984, Fuller 1989, Ballard et al. 1997). In 2005 that would require the removal of 730-1,382 wolves just to limit the population, not to reduce it. Alternatively, when the population reaches 3,000, it would be necessary to kill up to 1,830 wolves per year to reduce it."(821)