Use the passage to complete the activity.

Claim: Wolves no longer need protection.

Tension exists between the ranchers who feel threatened by wolves and the conservationists who want to see wolves protected. Many ranchers want to remove federal protections for the gray wolves. They want to allow hunting again. They point to increased wolf populations in several states. Numbers have grown from under 1,000 to more than 5,000. The increase has led to more wolf attacks on sheep and cattle. Conservationists say that current wolf packs and populations are not at all stable. They point to the fact that wolves neared extinction before laws protecting them were enacted. Allowing hunting could eliminate the gains.

In 3 to 5 sentences, explain whether the author's evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claim. Explain how the author could make the paragraph stronger.

(4 points)