(a) Law enforcement personnel may pay up to $50,000 as a reward for information and evidence leading to the conviction of any person for:

(1) Willfully or maliciously setting on fire or causing to be set on fire any timber, underbrush, or grass on National Forest System lands or on non-National Forest System lands if the fire endangers or injures National Forest System lands or users;

(2) Kindling or causing to be kindled a fire on National Forest System lands or on non-National Forest System lands if the fire endangers or injures National Forest System lands or users; or

(3) Destroying, damaging, or stealing any property of the United States.

(b) See 36 CFR 296.17 for direction on payment of a reward from a criminal or civil penalty collected under Section 6 or 7 of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 470ee or 470ff) for information and evidence leading to the criminal conviction or civil liability of the person who paid the penalty.

(c) Officers and employees of the United States Department of Agriculture may not receive rewards under this section.

(d) Submit applications for a reward to the Special Agent in Charge who has responsibility for the investigation involved in the violation of law no later than 3 months after the date of conviction of an offender. Applications submitted after that date will not be considered. To allow all claimants to present their claims within the prescribed limit, the Special Agent in Charge shall not take action with respect to rewards regarding an investigation until 3 months after the date of conviction of an offender.

(e) The Special Agent in Charge reserves the right to refuse payment of a reward when it is determined that collusion or improper methods were used to secure the conviction involved.

(f) The Special Agent in Charge reserves the right to pay only one reward where several persons have been convicted of the same offense or where one person has been convicted of several offenses, but may, depending on the circumstances, determine that payment of a reward for each conviction is justified.

[79 FR 44295, July 31, 2014]