By KEVIN MILLER; OF THE NEWS STAFF Plum Creek Timber Co. plans to expand its land holdings in New England. The Seattle-based company has signed a purchase and sale agreement on more than 86,200 acres in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

State wildlife biologists are hoping an aggressive moose hunt this season will help cut in half the number of animals in the Northeast Kingdom where the population has far exceeded the ability of the land to provide for them and moose conflicts with people are increasing, officials say.

By Cynthia V. Campbell Fall trips give us a chance to see the countryside painted in rare beauty. And we owe it all to the leaf. From the mountains of Vermont to the gardens of the deep South, it's a wonderful time to be outdoors walking along wooded paths and relaxing in cool crisp air.