Killed in the crash were Eric Cox, 29, a Ph.D. candidate who headed the northwest Minnesota Moose Research Project since its inception in 1996, and DNR pilot and Conservation Officer Grant Coyour, 43. The aircraft was a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Piper Cub.
Cox, who lived on-site at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (Service) Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the DNRs Red Lake WMA during the project, worked closely with both Service and Minnesota DNR researchers and biologists to determine the cause of the declining northwest Minnesota moose population.
"This is terrible news," said Service Regional Director Bill Hartwig in Minneapolis. "Our hearts go out to the families of these two men. Field work and research are the cornerstones of wildlife management. Despite all the precautions taken, we are at times reminded that this work involves some risk. Both Eric and Lieutenant Coyour accepted those risks to continue their important work. However, that doesnt lessen the shock of their deaths."
A Michigan native and University of Idaho graduate student, Cox was in the process of completing the field work portion of the moose study, which was to be included as part of his doctoral dissertation. The next phase of his work was to include an analysis of the data gathered from over three years of moose research. This research involved tracking moose fitted with electronic collars, collecting blood and tissue samples, determining parasite impacts and analyzing the animals nutritional requirements. Wolf and bear predation were eliminated as major factors in the population decline based on early research results.
"This was a very important project, and we will follow through on Erics research," said Service Manager Margaret Anderson at Agassiz NWR. "The data is there and we know Eric would want us to see this through. Many people in the Service, DNR and local community have contributed to this project and we are very close to some answers based on Erics work."
"Eric demanded a lot of himself and of those who worked with him," Anderson added. "And many of those who worked with him on this moose project, especially the volunteers, have used their experience working with him to launch their own careers in wildlife. He will be missed by many, both for his contributions to this project and because of his tremendous potential. Eric had much to offer the wildlife community."
While conducting the moose research, Cox worked under the guidance of Service staff biologist Gary Huschle and DNR Manager Gretchen Mehmel. The joint moose research partnership between the Service and DNR allowed Cox to take advantage of the facilities and expertise provided by both agencies. Because the moose involved in the study resided on the federally-owned Agassiz NWR, the state-owned Red Lake WMA, and on nearby private land, this federal-state partnership was critical to the success of the research effort. The cooperation of local landowners was equally important.
Due to the large acreage involved, over 700,000 acres spread over a large geographic area, tracking the moose by airplane was a necessity. It was also an activity Cox and veteran pilot Coyour had done many times since the inception of the research project. The use of airplanes is a common practice in the Service for wildlife research.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Officials of the National Transportation Safety Board and DNR have recovered the plane and are continuing the investigation.
Funeral services for Cox will be held in his hometown of Harbor Springs, Michigan. His family has requested his remains be cremated and ashes spread over the Red Lake WMA. A local memorial service at the Red Lake WMA is also planned in the future.
Services for Coyour will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16, at St. John=s Lutheran Church in Springfield, Minnesota. A memorial service for Coyour will be held on Thursday, June 17, at the Hope Lutheran Church in Moose Lake, Minnesota at 6:30 p.m.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
