I'm a moderate too and get the same response from friends as you, hats off for asking questions. The whole wolf reintroduction debate can possibly be summarized by the no plan for management.
And that in itself begs the questions that are more important to ask... Why when ungulate numbers in the west are severely declining, why not allow hunting wolves as a means to balance their populations (huge red flag clue right there). When you dig deeper lots of questions appear, like how the north American wolf species is not even remotely close to endangered on the ICUN (current rating "Least Concern"). Why is their historical range suddenly so important when its not even close to the same habitat it was to support them when wolves were here? ....the left argues for the "natural balance" to the prey/predator populations yet leave out the part the lower 48 is no longer the naturally vast uninterrupted wilderness it was when nature alone truly balanced the populations... habitat and migration routes are now fragmented, ungulates cannot migrate the same in response to localized increases in natural predation.
I appreciate the open mind to listen to both sides of a topic, but the action of predator reintroduction is wrought with corruption from the left. Keep digging and you will find the truth then ask yourself why you had to dig to find the truth.