The director of agriculture may enter written agreements with one or more agencies of the United States to act as the federal government’s agent for determining the disposition of livestock impounded on the federal Hanford reservation. The director’s authority under such an agreement may include, but is not limited to, selling or donating, on behalf of the federal government, unclaimed livestock to a qualified person, organization, or governmental agency that the director determines to be capable of humanely transporting and caring for the livestock. The director may sell or donate such livestock only if the livestock remains unclaimed after the completion of a reasonable attempt to ascertain ownership and, if ownership is not otherwise determined, by the publication of notice that the livestock has been impounded on the reservation.