No timber or other timber products shall be removed from any lands owned by the State of Oklahoma, except for public utilities and improvements, and no officer, employee, or any other person employed by the State of Oklahoma shall authorize the removal, except upon written approval of the Director of Forestry. In carrying out the duties of this section, the Director is authorized to delegate authority to persons qualified to act in the Director’s behalf.

Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction be punished, for the first offense by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for not exceeding one (1) year, or by both. For any subsequent offense, the person shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for not exceeding three (3) years, or both.