Bannock, thanks for the rule clarification.  I usually find all the wood I could ever hope to burn in downed or hanging dead trees & branches less than 20' from the shoreline, at least 100' away from a campsite.  I typically won't take wood thicker than 4" in diameter, unless it's cold and I want a long buring fire.  I often find hanging limbs in the trees.  Seems like everyone is missing them because their eyes are down.  However, if the wood is off the ground, it's much more likely to be dry, in my experience.

I'll echo the tinder, pine cones, twigs around camp sentiments on fire starting.  I travel with a fire steel   (You need to Login or Register and a film canister stuffed with cotton balls dipped in petroleum jelly.  I also carry matches, but this is the fail-safe.