B.C. Conservative party leader John Rustad and caucus colleagues are in Cranbrook to attend the B.C. Cattlemen's Association annual general meeting and trade show, which hosts cattle ranchers and industry partners over the next few days.

"It's nice to be back in the Kootenays and back in Cranbrook," Rustad said. "The [BC] Cattlemen being here, there's a lot of talk about access to the landbase, being able to get range tenures, lots of concerns about water, water access as well.

"The good news is cattle prices are high, but everyone is concerned about how they're going to be able to build their futures."

Rustad also noted localized issues such as onerous wait times to get through permitting processes for range tenures, and wildlife conflicts and management with elk herds in decline.

The

See Full Page