You have finally decided to write that letter to those whom you think can make for a better tomorrow. An effective letter needs to be written. Believe it or not, focused letters can produce a significant change, especially when letters reveal important and new components of an injustice. Your letter should focus on the issue and be sent to the appropriate people.

1. Write an individual letter: Form letters are okay, but think about how you feel when you receive a chain letter. Now you know how the politician/land manager who receives 1000 form letters feels. Nothing says I love you more than a Valentine's card, hey, the same holds true for a letter to your politician/land manager. Write an individual letter, be personable, show them you are a human being who cares and write to them like they are a human being as well.
2. Be polite, brief and use a personal tone: The politician/land manager you want to rave at usually has a family to feed. They are doing their job, why not make it easier for them to do their job, don't be a jerk. Do you honestly think that you are the only person they hear from during the course of a day? Snide and critical comments do nothing but add a negative light on you and your cause. Deal with one issue in your letter and make it no longer than a page.
3. Understand the bureaucracy and send your letters to the right people: your MLA, MP, local land manager are all givens. Sometimes key people are those who work for the bigwigs, staff in government offices are often given responsibilities that the public thinks only the elected official does, wrong. Add the fact that office staff never receive enough credit or respect and your personalized letter to them is a bonus. They may work that much harder to make sure your issue gets top priority with the top dogs. Request that your elected official/land manager meet with others such as the minister responsible for the environment etc. and then in a few weeks send a follow up letter asking if the meeting has occurred and how it turned out. Again, the issue of being personal, one letter usually means you are seen as a one hit wonder so to speak. Show you care, keep on the issue!
4. The first paragraph should identify the issue, refer to the purpose or intent of the letter and contain a clear statement of your position: this allows the reader to know immediately what is going on, they have an immediate reference.
5. Tell why you feel the way you do: Again the personable aspect. The person you are writing to will usually know about the issue already, don't be cold, tell them why you care. Provide a reason for your position and an example of how you are affected and offer a solution! Remember, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem! Don't just complain, offer yourself, offer a workable solution. Offer something which requires more work from you than from the person you are writing, believe me, they already have enough work, asking them to do more will get you nowhere. 99% of the time they are not the cause of the problem.
6. Subtle flattery can't hurt: The person you are writing to may be the biggest jerk in the world but somewhere, sometime they did something that you agree with, bring this up. A brief mention of how you agree with them supporting such and such a bill is fine.
7. In your conclusion, indicate your specific recommendation for action and ask for a response and mention that you will be writing a follow-up letter: be precise and direct about what you are looking for. Request a meeting/phone call to discuss the issue in detail.
8. Forms of address: It is a fact of life, those with titles or letters behind their names derive immense pleasure from them, milk this. Even though you may think otherwise, all government ministers are referred to a "Honorable." Use the full title of anybody you right to, do some research, if they have a dozen letters behind their name on the agencies website then use them in your letter.