I think suwa is effective because they have individuals who are willing to donate their time and energy to the cause. They do more than post about how frustrated they are. They take time out of their busy lives and do things that aren't fun, like hold meetings, get petitions, talk to lawyers, send out communications, send out post cards, etc.
I think it's awesome that so many wheelers are becoming aware of our land issues. I know that I, for one, need to move beyond posting about how pissed I am to loose my trails. Even if every wheeler in the state were as fed up as I am, we still wouldn't match SUWA's efforts, because I'm not doing squat aside from picking up trash, staying on the trail, and writing letters to my representatives supporting them to keep our public lands open. I'm not making commercials, conducting environmental studies, posting on facebook, getting petitions, trying to get businesses to join the fight. Suwa is effective because they're offensive. I only act in the defense, and unless I become more proactive, I'll always be one step behind trying to save our closing trails, instead of trying to open new ones.
But I feel your pain. We've gotta do more. I think that as I learn more about U4 and attend their monthly meetings I'll be able to channel my enthusiasm in a more effective manner.