The question is what benefit both parties would get from “recognition” and what are the downsides?* And given the nature of small informal groups, how do you even formalize such a status?
The idea itself goes back to when we originally created the LC process more than a decade ago, but nobody has ever made a convincing case for the introduction of such a status.
In my opinion comparing to the WMF is in any case a bit tricky as they have the additional dimension and complication of money. The WMF local chapters get heaps of money and for that reason need substantially more vetting than the user groups, I would even argue that OSMF LCs are probably closer to WMF user groups than to WMF LCs.
PS: on the side, the LC documentation on the OSMF site is missing a statement that LCs need to be self financing, potentially creating the impression that this is where the big handouts are.
* don’t forget that the WMF can deal with a lot more trouble, and trouble is inevitable, than we can. Just the WMF legal department on its own is an order of magnitude larger than the whole OSMF.