I have had a fair amount of dealings with AHJ's in my hobby. They are hyper concerned with liability. If you tell them you are bringing a large group then they will definitely balk. Signing a liability waiver is only useful to them as evidence in a court case, and going to court is the last thing they want. They know you (not you personally) will sue them even if you have signed a waiver because you know their insurance company will offer you money to go away, so they can avoid court. Court is very expensive.
Having said that, insurance is not the magic bullet. I have been turned away with two, million dollar plus policies in my hand. It all depends on how risk averse your particular local officials are. I would definitely give it a try. If they say no to your waiver, you can offer them insurance if you think the job is worth the cost. I would thing the liability for picking up scrap in the woods would be fairly inexpensive but you need to call an agent.
Good luck and keep us informed. Your experience may prove to be helpful to the next guy...
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