The House of Representatives Sept. 29 passed H.R. 3824, the “Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005” (TESRA), by a vote of 229-193. TESRA would update the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by eliminating federal authority to set aside large pieces of land under auspices of “critical habitat” for threatened species and provide incentives for private landowners to participate in species recovery programs. The measure will define criteria for the “best available scientific data” for regulatory decision-making.