Mike Crapo, a Republican senator from Idaho , introduced legislation in the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday that could give $2 billion in tax breaks to land owners who help endangered species.

Crapo said 80 percent of the plants, animals and fish listed under the Endangered Species Act use habitat on private land. He hopes the bill will encourage and reward landowners who take steps to protect and improve that habitat.

"It provides tax incentive for private property owners who are willing to undertake action on their property for the benefit of species that are threatened or endangered," he said.

The bill has four parts.

The first part would give a tax break to landowners who sign permanent or temporary conservation easements on their land. Those who sign permanent easements would get bigger tax breaks than those who sign temporary easements.

The second part of the bill would give lesser tax credits to landowners who spend money to improve wildlife habitat for listed species but don't sign conservation easements.

The third part of the bill would change Internal Revenue Tax code so grant money given to landowners to improve habitat for listed species is not counted as taxable income.

Finally the bill would give incidental take coverage to landowners who perform habitat improvement projects.

The 16 co-sponsors include Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Larry Craig, R-Idaho and Gordon Smith R-Oregon. The bill is also backed by more than 100 hunting, fishing, conservation and industry groups including the Defenders of Wildlife and the American Farm Bureau Federation.

"We are supporting Sen. Crapo's effort. We think it is the right direction to tweak," said Bob Irvin, vice president of conservation programs for the Defenders of Wildlife at Washington D.C.

The conservation group is not supporting an effort by Craig to make several changes to the ESA. The senior senator from Idaho introduced legislation to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee two weeks ago that is similar in nature to one that passed the House during the last Congress.

But that 2005 bill never made it out of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee that was controlled by Lincoln Chafee, R- Rhode Island. The bill before this Congress will face an even tougher challenge now that the Senate is controlled by Democrats and Sen. Barbara Boxer of California chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Irvin, of the Defenders of Wildlife opposes the legislation and says Boxer won't let it see the light of day.

"Sen. Boxer made it very clear, in no uncertain terms she has no intent of moving legislation that would weaken the ESA so I'm confident it is dead on arrival."

The American Farm Bureau Federation is supporting both Craig's and Crapo's effort. But most observers agree Crapo's bill has a better chance of making its way through Congress.

Crapo said the revenue the federal government would forgo if the bill were approved could be its biggest hurdle.

"I feel very positive about it," Crapo said of the bill's chances in the Senate. "The biggest issue we will deal with will be budgetary. There is strong support on the principle and the policy. The question will be if we can fit it into the budget parameters we are working with."