WASHINGTON -- A congressional rewrite of the Endangered Species Act seemed to be on the fast track earlier this year, but prospects for sweeping new legislation have grown dim as talks among Senate negotiators have stalled.

Discussion on the issue hit a lull in the last two weeks during Congress' spring recess. Legislators face an already full plate of other items to consider when they return to Washington this week, and time is running short in this election year.

Senators on the Environment and Public Works Committee who are involved in talks vow to continue pursuing a compromise, but the likelihood of passing reforms on such a controversial issue has dropped. Disagreements remain over critical habitat, funding and other issues.

A separate measure that would provide tax incentives to landowners affected by the act has been introduced in the Senate and will likely be taken up by the Finance Committee. Prospects remain uncertain for that bill.

The U.S. House last year passed a reform bill that would alter some fundamental aspects of the Endangered Species Act. It was introduced and pushed through to final passage in just 10 days by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif.

The House bill would expand private property rights and require the federal government to make payments to affected private landowners.

The bill drew criticism from Democrats, some moderate Republicans and environmental groups. Since then, a bipartisan group of four senators has been trying to put together a version that could pass the Senate - without luck so far.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe, R-Okla., had vowed to produce a bill by the end of March, but the deadline came and went without a deal.

He has been working with the committee's ranking minority member, Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., as well as the heads of the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, Sens. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Chafee, a moderate Republican, is considered the swing vote for any ESA reform bill. With 10 Republicans and 8 Democrats on the full panel, if Chafee sided with the Democrats it would create a tie and effectively kill the bill in committee.

Chafee press secretary Stephen Hourahan said discussions continue and that the committee will continue to try to find a compromise.