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Originally Posted by Cajun Camper
One of the things I've read numerous times here is no gathering wood in State Parks. I will be sure not to do this.
The only State Parks I have stayed in prior to Texas were in Louisiana, where I recall the rules to be only gathering of wood that has already been cut or fallen. In simple terms, no cutting wood - but you can collect wood.
I tried a Google on this subject, but no luck. Is there a simple reason why collecting fallen wood is a problem? I can understand breaking and cutting wood makes lots of noise, but picking up sticks perplexes me.
Thanks.
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I'm just throwing sticks in the wind here (lol), but my guesses are it's a combination of the following --
Texas ranks last or near dead last in terms of parkland per capita. What works in Louisiana or Arkansas state parks thus doesn't necessarily work in Texas State Parks due to the increased population/visitation pressures on our Texas parklands. Another way of viewing it is, think of one of the busiest parks you've visited in Texas. If everyone you saw camping went out and collected felled wood each night and morning for a campfire, the forest/meadow floor would be bare in short order.
Two, prohibiting firewood gathering reduces the inevitable abuse that people would try to get away with. "Honest, that 20 foot Mesquite was just lying across our campsite when we arrived!" It's probably a little easier for park officials to enforce a total ban on firewood gathering and give warnings to guests with twigs and green, smoking logs in their fires than it is to try and catch the folks who come equipped with a hacksaw or chainsaw and start playing log cabin builder.
Three, it probably keeps the size of ground fires to a more reasonable level since folks have to remember to pick up the park-provided firewood at parks that permit groundfires (not all do) and if they want more they have to go back when the park office is open and buy more. Voila, no Aggie bonfires at Texas State Parks!
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