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Young Kwak

Crews haul away an 88-foot Engelmann Spruce from the Colville National Forest, near Usk, Wash., to serve as this year's U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in November 2013.

OUTLANDER serves as a weekly round up of Inland Northwest outdoor recreation and natural resources news. This feature will highlight a wide variety of issues and events, ranging from camping stories to national environmental disputes. We’ll also try to include some scenic photos. Feel free to pass along suggestions or curiosities that celebrate the Great Outdoors.

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Happy Thanksgiving! Today officially starts the holiday season. Check out information on cutting your own Christmas tree in the Colville National Forest, or from national forest in Idaho. Get out there and find the perfect tree, just like the U.S. Capitol tree from last year. (Inlander/USFS)

Federal officials revoke permit for controversial wolf hunting derby scheduled for January in Idaho. (AP)

Learn a little about the the Inland Northwest’s redband trout in a new “Trout Tuesday” feature. (USFWS)

Mining proposals threaten Cabinet Mountain wilderness. And the potential impact on bear populations. (S-R)

Suggestions for the best early season snoeshoeing trails in the Cascade and Olympic mountains. (Seattle Times)

North Dakota oil industry largely governed through warnings and self-regulation. And a look at what oil wells would look like if above ground. (NYT)

A small North Dakota town grapples with constant train traffic. (Reuters)

Ghostly photos from the Idaho range. (Outdoor Photographer)

In a bizarre and tragic twist, investigators find a hiker took photos of a black bear in New Jersey prior to fatal attack. (NJ.com)

Some predictions for the next year in outdoor adventure, extreme sports and fitness. (Outside)

Turkey Day: How wild turkey transfer programs improve genetic diversity. (The Nature Conservancy)