Richard Moy

Rich Moy focuses on collaborative, strategic and science-based approaches to water policy, planning and trans-boundary and regional water and land issues. He oversaw Montana’s water policies; water management; and state, regional and international water issues for the past 27 years. He directed the development and implementation of Montana’s drought plan, state water plan, watershed conservation plans; protection of instream flows; and resolution of Native American Indian water rights. Rich has a strong technical background in water resources and water quality.

Rich worked extensively with other states and federal governmental agencies on water management issues in the Missouri and Columbia River basins including; water allocation, fisheries, water quality, reservoir operations, and drought management. Recently, Rich served as chair of the 23-member Flathead Basin Commission which has a statutory duty to protect water quality and the environment of the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi River in the U.S.

Rich worked at length with the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, the Canadian federal government and the International Joint Commission (IJC) on water quality, fishery, wildlife, apportionment, and landscape issues for over 25 years. Rich served as the U.S. Secretariat on IJC’s trans-boundary Flathead Study that evaluated the potential impacts of a proposed B.C. coalmine in the headwaters of the Flathead River. He represented the State of Montana on the IJC’s Milk/St. Mary Rivers Task Force that evaluated the apportionment of flows between Montana and Alberta and on the Crown Manager’s Partnership whose members are responsible for managing a very unique and highly valued trans-boundary landscape call “Crown of the Continent.” Rich oversaw the implementation of the apportionment between Montana and Saskatchewan on the Poplar River. He has negotiated two trans-boundary environmental accords with the provincial governments of British Columbia and Alberta on behalf of the State of Montana and governor.

Prior to this work, he directed Montana’s involvement in the High Plains Research Experiment for 4 years and before that, worked as a park ranger and ecologist in Glacier National Park where he was primarily responsible for developing the park’s backcountry management plan.

Rich received an MA from the University of Montana and almost completed a Ph.D. in animal ecology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Rich enjoys carpentry, traveling, skiing, hiking and fly fishing.