World's smallest penguins get a break from Secretary Ken Salazar
By Jean Williams

As a result of pressure from the environmental organizations, Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network, the Interior Department announced on Tuesday that New Zealand-Australia populations of southern rockhopper penguin would finally get listed as a “threatened” species for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The listing followed a legal settlement with the two organizations.

Although it is not an “endangered” listing, it will increase funding for research and conservation and additional oversight to federal activities that could result in harm to the existing rockhopper population.  

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