Not trying to be the party pooper but, in NY it is illegal to take down any tree on state forest dead or alive. The tree has to be on the ground. You dont want to get caught taking down standing trees
From the NY State Department of Conservation website: “If you build a fire, follow fire safety guidelines to prevent risk of wildfires. Use wood from dead and downed trees only. Never leave a fire unattended.” Is a dead tree that has fallen over onto another tree not “dead and downed”? I try to be respectful of these places but I’ve never heard of this before.