Section 5. (a) Whenever the board of county commissioners shall retain lands for county forests as provided for in this act, the county shall become liable to pay to the township and to the school district, in which such lands are located, each an annual charge of two cents per acre for road and school purposes; and all county, township, road, school, and poor taxes, theretofore assessed against such lands and unpaid, shall be and are hereby abated. No further taxes shall thereafter be assessed against such lands so long as the same are retained and held by the county as county forests.
(b) The county commissioners shall have full power to develop any lands so held and retained as county forests, and, for such purposes, to employ persons, including especially those unemployed and who are in need of public assistance, to sell any forest products found or produced thereon, and to lease areas thereof or buildings thereon at such prices or rentals as may be agreed upon.
(c) The Department of Forests and Waters and the Board of Game Commissioners shall assist, advise and cooperate with counties in the development of county forests, and may furnish technical assistance free and also nursery stock for planting on such county forests for forest plantations and game cover, as the case may require, at a price not exceeding the cost of production.
(d) The county commissioners may, at any time, transfer any such county forests to the Department of Forests and Waters or the Board of Game Commissioners for State forests or State game lands, for such price as may be agreed upon, and make deed therefor to the purchaser, or they may make application, in the manner prescribed in this act, for the transfer of such lands to the State as State forests.