Democratic control of the House and Senate is very exciting for those of us who care about preserving our nation's natural legacy.  It's not that there aren't pro-conservation Republicans, because there are, but the party as a whole, and certainly party leadership, has been extremely anti-conservation for such a long time.  But a lot of mischief is possible even under Democratic leadership, so the conservation community has been watching leadership and committee appointments carefully.  So far the news is pretty good.

The Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), which has jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act, will be chaired by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).  Senator Boxer has been a pretty reliable pro-conservation voice in the Senate and this should mean good things on many of our priority issues.  The chair of the EPW subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Act (with the awkward name "Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection") will be Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who has been very pro-conservation during his Senate tenure.  That, too, is good news.

Incidentally, Senator Salazar landed a coveted spot on the Finance Committee, which puts him in an exceptional position to help move bills that improve tax incentives for good on-the-ground conservation.  His ongoing position on the Agriculture Committee means he can do similarly important work on the Farm Bill.

On the House side, the expected new chair of the Resources Committee is Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), although I noticed a report earlier in the week that he might face some competition for the spot.  Congressman Rahall has also been a really strong conservation champion.

I was hoping to see our own Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) end up with the majority whip position - to have such a strong conservation champion in the number three spot would have been fun - but it sounds like she'll probably remain as chief deputy whip and so should still have a great deal of influence in shaping the Democrat's agenda.