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wood fires at Arapiles 7-Jun-2011 At 1:03:52 AM dave james

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I understand the biodiversity effects of firewood collection in the immediate vicinity of the campground and it was only a couple of years ago i saw campers breaking down dead trees to burn. Surely though this phenomenon is to a large degree limited to an increasingly small area further away from the campsite. ie naturally campers tend to be less likely to have a fire the further they have to wander to find firewood?? Sure some people then jump in the car and drag back a bunch from the scrub further afield but not everyone does that and at that point and distance from the campsite -wildfire, ecological and hazard reduction burns would have a greater effect on 'coarse woody debris' and biodiversity. Keep in mind also we are not talking about woodhookers with jacked up 4wds and chainsaws. Just dudes scavenging what they can find to keep warm, cook and hang out with their tribe( no offence meant to indigenous owners)
Either way, surely there is a more modern solution that takes into account cultural and human use factors as well as ecological?
Don't get me wrong, i think a 6 month ban is fair but trimming it down to 3months seems pretty unimaginative and an outdated approach to park management. Sure, Parks is under resourced and its easieiest and cheapest to say a "Big Fat No To Everything' but at some point increasing regulation and restriction serves only to foster increased resentment in the community with minimal gain for the environment.
Based on my last trip to araps 2 years ago i'd say signage and education on biodiversity issues associated with campfires were pretty close to absent. This could be as simple as an unavoidable sign at campground entrance saying "Do not collect firewood in the reserve" or as complex as 'code of conduct' for firewood collection (do you really need a fire? keep it small, only dead fallen wood, no chainsaws, etc), or as delightful as a photo essay interpretive board of all the animals that shelter, feed and dwell in dead wood on the ground or in dead standing timber. Sure some people maybe don't care that much but most climbers do.