Sounds like 'wilderness' is a relative term. I have guys from the Detroit area who hunt with me and consider where I take them to be wilderness. As far as I'm concerned its not even close to getting out in the back 40. Don't forget that mosts trails and portage routes existed long before your 'wilderness' parks were ever designated so I don't see it as opening new country, but maintaining the access that was already there for a couple of centuries. How you do this and what is acceptable is what this post was originally about--I think! I firmly believe that its fair to treat everyone equally as their taxes are going to support your program. This means the old fart who can barely hobble around as well as the young buck who wants the real bushwhacking experience. That old character has every right to enjoy a wilderness experience, maybe for the last time, that he once knew when he was a younger man. His taxes say that he has that right. And just maybe we owe it to that man to be able to do it in relative safety. If you prefer to do your work with a bucksaw thats OK. I still think its okay to use a chainaxe because even in Northern Ontario I don't believe there really exists 'Wilderness' anymore.
And BJ, I was the clod who made less than polite comments about your writing style. Please drop the Mountain Man persona and talk to us so we can more easily understand what you're saying. It would give your comments so much more credibility. You ain't really the hayseed you're trying to make out to be.