(a) Officials of the Forest Service will cooperate with State, county, and Federal officials in the enforcement of all laws and regulations for the protection of wildlife.

(b) Officials of the Forest Service who have been, or hereafter may be, lawfully appointed deputy game wardens under the laws of any State, will serve in such capacity with full power to enforce the State laws and regulations relating to fur-bearing and game animals, birds, and fish. Such officials will serve as State deputy game wardens without additional pay, except that they may accept the usual fees allowed by the respective States for issuing hunting and fishing licenses. All officials of the Forest Service are prohibited from accepting bounties, rewards, or parts of fines offered by any person, corporation or State for aid rendered in the enforcement of any Federal or State law relating to fur-bearing and game animals, birds, and fish.

The Chief of the Forest Service, through the Regional Foresters and Forest Supervisors, shall determine the extent to which national forests or portions thereof may be devoted to wildlife protection in combination with other uses and services of the national forests, and, in cooperation with the Fish and Game Department or other constituted authority of the State concerned, he will formulate plans for securing and maintaining desirable populations of wildlife species, and he may enter into such general or specific cooperative agreements with appropriate State officials as are necessary and desirable for such purposes. Officials of the Forest Service will cooperate with State game officials in the planned and orderly removal in accordance with the requirements of State laws of the crop of game, fish, fur-bearers, and other wildlife on national forest lands.

Until a cooperative agreement has been entered into between the Chief of the Forest Service and appropriate State officials for the regulation of game as provided in § 241.2 and the necessary implementing laws or regulations have been promulgated and taken effect in order to carry out such cooperative agreement the following paragraphs shall be effective:

(a) Any person desiring to hunt or take game or non-game animals, game or non-game birds, or fish, upon any National Forest lands or waters embraced within the boundaries of a military reservation or a national game or bird refuge, preserve, sanctuary, or reservation established by or under authority of an act of Congress, shall procure in advance a permit from the Forest Supervisor. The permit shall be issued for a specified season, shall fix the bag or creel limits, and shall prescribe such other conditions as the Regional Forester may consider necessary for carrying out the purposes for which such lands have been set aside or reserved.

(b) Officials of the Forest Service will cooperate with persons, firms, corporations, and State and county officials in the protection, management, and utilization of game and non-game animals, game and non-game birds, and fish, upon national forest lands of the character referred to in paragraph (a) of this section. The Chief of the Forest Service may authorize the acceptance of contributions from cooperators for the payment of expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section.

(c) When necessary for the protection of the forest or the conservation of animal life on refuges under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the Chief of the Forest Service may sell, barter, exchange, or donate game and non-game animals. When the interests of game conservation will be promoted thereby, the Chief of the Forest Service may accept donations of game and non-game animals, game and non-game birds, and fish, or the eggs of birds and fish.