Exhibit 99.1

                   TRENDWEST RESORTS AND RIDGE REACH AGREEMENT

Roslyn, Wash. - September 25, 2001-- Trendwest Resorts,  Inc. a Washington-based
resort  developer,  and RIDGE, a local citizens group,  today jointly  announced
that  agreement has been reached  settling a legal dispute over a Master Planned
Resort (MPR) in Upper Kittitas County.

Trendwest  has been  working on the  planning  and  permitting  for two separate
developments,  the 6,200 acre MPR under Washington State's Growth Management Act
and a 1,200 acre urban services and residential area to be annexed into the City
of Cle Elum, the Cle Elum Urban Growth Area (UGA).  Kittitas County  completed a
three-year  environmental review and impact statement on the MountainStar Resort
and granted land use permits on October 10, 2000.

RIDGE  appealed the County's  approvals to the Yakima County  Superior Court and
the Eastern  Washington  Growth  Management  Board. On May 28, 2001 the Superior
Court upheld the County's  decisions.  On June 7, 2001,  the Eastern  Washington
Growth Management Board upheld the County's  decisions,  except for one decision
that the County had not coordinated with Roslyn's comprehensive plan.

Subsequently,  RIDGE appealed both decisions.  Trendwest and the County appealed
the  Growth   Board's  ruling  on  the  lack  of   coordination   with  Roslyn's
Comprehensive Plan. Last week,  Trendwest and RIDGE arrived at a settlement that
will result in the dismissal of the appeals and the waiver of RIDGE's  rights of
future appeals  pertaining to all components and  infrastructure for the MPR and
UGA.

"In this agreement,  we worked through RIDGE's  concerns in a very  constructive
way,"  explained  Mike  Moyer,  Senior Vice  President  for  Trendwest  Resorts.
"Trendwest has agreed to a variety of actions and contributions  consistent with
the company's past  sensitivity to  environmental  values and  participation  in
promoting  community  interests.  These  include  the  promotion  of  historical
restoration  and  preservation,  improvement  of community  infrastructure,  the
preservation  of open space,  the  promotion of  apprenticeship  programs in the
local schools, promotion of local employment and contracting,  the protection of
water supply and other environmental enhancements."

To further relieve  concerns about future impacts,  Trendwest will develop 3,785
units, rather than the 4,650 units approved by Kittitas County. The company will
also  increase  open space by 438 acres on the Resort and 112 acres in the Urban
Growth  Area.  These 550 acres are in addition to the 80% open space  previously
committed  during Kittitas  County's  review of the Resort.  Trendwest will also
shorten the period of vesting for both projects.

"Trendwest  places a high  priority on  diligently  working  with our  community
neighbors.  Naturally,  our projects evolve as we incorporate  community input,"
added Jim Nyberg,  Vice  President  and General  Manager for  MountainStar.  "We
expect these modifications to be successfully absorbed into our overall planning
and it is important to note that the  majority of these  changes are  consistent
with  Trendwest's  corporate  policies  pertaining  to the  environment  and our
ongoing relationship with the communities where our resorts are located."



Trendwest Resorts, Inc.,  headquartered in Redmond,  Washington,  is a leader in
the  vacation  ownership  industry.  Through  its  exclusive  relationship  with
WorldMark,  the Club, and WorldMark  South Pacific Club, the Company  provides a
flexible  vacation  ownership system,  based on the use of Vacation Credits.  At
June 30, 2001,  Trendwest had 45 sales offices,  and over 128,000  WorldMark and
WorldMark  South  Pacific  owners who enjoy over 2,350  condominium  units at 44
resort  locations  in the United  States,  British  Columbia,  Mexico,  Fiji and
Australia.   For  more   information,   visit   Trendwest   and   WorldMark   at
www.trendwestresorts.com and www.worldmarktheclub.com.



Statements herein contain  forward-looking  information concerning the Company's
future  prospects and other  forecasts and  statements of  expectations.  Actual
results  may differ  materially  from those  expressed  in the  forward  looking
statements made by the Company due to, among other things, the Company's ability
to complete  development  in a timely  manner,  find  acceptable  debt or equity
capital to fund such development, achieve planned sales levels, as well as other
risk factors described in the Company's SEC reports and filings.

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