One person isn't going to be enough to convince lawmakers to change policy. An organized group is much more likely to make an impression.

I don't mean to sound like an ad for the AMA, but I'm reading this thread and thinking, "Jeez, these are just the kinds of situations that the AMA exists for." Now, "they" won't come in and do the work for you, but the AMA does provide you with resources to help you convince local officials that you're serious, organized, and deserve to be heard. Soccer moms get their way by whining and stomping their feet, but R/Cers are an insignifigant voting population, so you have to be professional about it. Just belonging to a national organization, being a chartered club in that organization, goes a long way in making that impression.

You may never use anything else but the AMA's image as a national organization, but if you couldn't fly in the park without getting harrassed by the cops before, and you can after becoming an AMA club, wasn't it worth the price of admission?

Just as an example, my club has had the use of county park land since the late '60s. We're the park's "favored sons" because we mow our own grass, keep the place clean, and generally don't cause trouble. The horse people are pooping all over the place, sports teams are tearing up the athletic areas, kids are trashing the playgrounds, hikers/walkers/picnicers are dumping their trash all over the place...