WASHINGTON -- When Democrats take charge of Congress in January, they will bring a new outlook to legislating environmental issues that impact the Mountain West, from Endangered Species Act reforms to greenhouse gas laws that could affect the energy industry.

Perhaps the starkest change will come on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., will take the gavel.

She replaces outgoing Chairman James Inhofe, R-Okla., who called global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people" and once called the Environmental Protection Agency a "Gestapo bureaucracy."

On Thursday, he dismissed a United Nations climate change meeting as "a brainwashing session."

By contrast, Boxer said spotlighting the issue with hearings and bringing legislation to cut the production of greenhouse gases to the Senate floor will be a top priority as chairwoman.

"Nowhere is there a greater threat to future generations than the disastrous effects of global warming," she said.

Boxer has said she will turn for a model to her home state of California, which recently passed a law capping greenhouse gas emissions.

That might provide a boost to companies in the Mountain West working on cleaner sources of energy. But it also raised some concerns from Western senators that the potential regulations not harm the energy industry there.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who sits on the Environment panel, said he's committed to working on climate change "as long as it does not unreasonably burden Montana's industries and local electric cooperatives."

"The United States should be a leader in efforts to reduce emissions," Baucus said, noting his support of tax incentives for wind energy and promoting the use of hybrid cars, energy-efficient homes and alternative fuels.

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., noted that Boxer and two other incoming Democratic chairmen sent a letter to President Bush on Wednesday promoting "economy-wide constraints" on greenhouse gas emissions.

"'Economic constraints' are telling words," said Enzi spokesman Coy Knobel. "California is one of the most heavily environmentally regulated states in the nation and now a senator from that state is set to take over the chairmanship."

He added that Enzi is willing to work with Democratic colleagues on environmental law, "but they've got to be willing to accept reasonable compromises."

Enzi has seen the air pollution in California, he added.

"That problem doesn't come from Wyoming," he said. "Much of it comes from multiple lanes of cars, many with only one passenger. There seems to be a tendency to want to change Wyoming and other parts of the country in order to solve another area's problems."

On another issue, Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., has concerns about Boxer's stand on Endangered Species Act reforms. Boxer has said she supports common-sense changes to the ESA but not "gutting" it.

Thomas fears she might not support efforts he has pushed -- and vows to continue pushing -- to give states a larger role in decisions on protecting species. He said Congress must protect the environment but "without overly burdensome regulations."

"Opportunities for environmental improvements are not limited to actions by the federal government -- states, tribes, local communities and individuals must be included," he said. "One-size-fits-all requirements handed down by the federal government are not the best solutions to protect our environment."

He noted that as chairwoman, Boxer has the power to decide what hearings the committee will hold and which witnesses will be called to testify.

"I hope the new chair doesn't intend to make endangered species out of those of us in the West," he said.

Enzi supports compensating private property owners and better defining when a species has recovered and can be delisted. "These ideas were not embraced by the minority," his spokesman said. "They have an opportunity to re-evaluate their position as the majority and work with us."

Baucus said he supports "thoughtful" ESA reform. "Any reform proposals that come before the EPW Committee must do two things: expedite species recovery and ease the burden on private property owners at the same time."

On the House side, Resources Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., whom environmental groups spent millions of dollars to defeat, lost his re-election race. Pombo had sponsored a controversial bill to reform the ESA as well as proposals to sell off public lands, an issue that seems much less likely to come up next year.

The coal industry will have an ally in the man likely taking over the committee, Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va. But reports surfaced Thursday that outspoken Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., may challenge Rahall for the Resources gavel.

On the other side of the aisle, two senior Republicans are considering taking the ranking GOP spot on the panel. But if they do not, Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., could be up for it.

Cubin said being in the minority will not change her position on any issues.

"As we look towards the 110th Congress, I will continue working, across the aisle as often as possible, to achieve energy independence, a responsible multiple-use public lands policy, common sense and scientifically based reform of the Endangered Species Act," she said.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said he has a close working relationship with both Rahall and Markey. Rehberg was a staffer on a subcommittee in the early 1980s when Markey headed it, while he and Rahall are both in the Masonic order, he said.

He said the ESA reform would not get through Congress without bipartisan coalition and that he will continue to work with Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., who sponsored a reform act.

"I would assume it isn't going to come out of the committee if Rahall doesn't agree with it," he said. "It won't even come up for a hearing What we (in the minority) don't control is the process. That doesn't mean we don't necessarily have a position or influence in the outcome."

He said he would certainly disagree with Rahall on some issues, like snowmobiling in Yellowstone Park. But Rehberg noted that two Democrats on the panel with whom he would work have snowmobile manufacturers in their districts.