Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: The Bald Eagle was declared an endangered species in the U.S. in 1967 , and amendments to the 1940 act between 1962 and 1972 further restricted commercial uses and increased penalties for violators .
Simplified: The Bald Eagle was an endangered species in 1967 , and the penalties for people who killed the species grew more and more .