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"The belief that elk grazing was damaging to northern range vegetation and that grazing accelerates erosion, although not supported by research data and analysis, has continued to the present. Studies of the northern elk winter range began in the 1960s and revealed no clear evidence of range overuse (Houston 1982). More recent studies conclude that sagebrush grasslands of Yellowstone's northern winter range are not overgrazed (Singer and Bishop 1990). In fact, plant production was enhanced by ungulate grazing in all but drought years."

"Not only are claims that wolves would lower ungulate populations and restore a balance with the plant communities logically inconsistent with assertions that wolves would not limit ungulates or hunting opportunities, but proponents of reintroduction, who all support 'natural regulation,' apparently do not realize that their concept of the wolf's place in the natural scheme of things is contrary to one of the major assumptions of the 'natural regulation' paradigm. According to 'natural regulation,' predation is an assisting, but nonessential, adjunct to the regulation of ungulate populations. Ungulates are limited by resources (food). If wolves were present, they would kill only the animals slated by nature to die from other causes, primarily starvation, so, wolves would not lower Yellowstone's ungulate populations (Kay 1990)."

"The Park Service has never said that wolves must be restored to Yellowstone to prevent elk and other ungulate numbers from becoming so large that those herbivores would overuse their range. So if you believe that wolves need to be reintroduced in Yellowstone to restore a 'balance of nature,' control ungulate numbers, or prevent range abuse, logic dictates that you also have to be opposed to 'natural regulation.' You cannot have it both ways."

Description
Sources:

[1][link]
[2][link]
[3][link]
[4][link]
[5][link]

"The belief that elk grazing was damaging to northern range vegetation and that grazing accelerates erosion, although not supported by research data and analysis, has continued to the present. Studies of the northern elk winter range began in the 1960s and revealed no clear evidence of range overuse (Houston 1982). More recent studies conclude that sagebrush grasslands of Yellowstone's northern winter range are not overgrazed (Singer and Bishop 1990). In fact, plant production was enhanced by ungulate grazing in all but drought years."

"Not only are claims that wolves would lower ungulate populations and restore a balance with the plant communities logically inconsistent with assertions that wolves would not limit ungulates or hunting opportunities, but proponents of reintroduction, who all support 'natural regulation,' apparently do not realize that their concept of the wolf's place in the natural scheme of things is contrary to one of the major assumptions of the 'natural regulation' paradigm. According to 'natural regulation,' predation is an assisting, but nonessential, adjunct to the regulation of ungulate populations. Ungulates are limited by resources (food). If wolves were present, they would kill only the animals slated by nature to die from other causes, primarily starvation, so, wolves would not lower Yellowstone's ungulate populations (Kay 1990)."

"The Park Service has never said that wolves must be restored to Yellowstone to prevent elk and other ungulate numbers from becoming so large that those herbivores would overuse their range. So if you believe that wolves need to be reintroduced in Yellowstone to restore a 'balance of nature,' control ungulate numbers, or prevent range abuse, logic dictates that you also have to be opposed to 'natural regulation.' You cannot have it both ways."