Western Sierra Bancorp to Attend Sandler O'Neill West Coast Financial Services Conference

Western Sierra Bancorp to Attend Sandler O'Neill West Coast
Financial Services Conference 


CAMERON PARK, Calif., March 8  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Western Sierra Bancorp
(NASDAQ:WSBA), a multi-bank holding company, headquartered in Cameron Park,
Calif., announced that Gary D. Gall, President and Chief Executive Officer of
the Company, will participate in a financial services conference at Four
Seasons Resort, Aviara in North San Diego, California sponsored by Sandler
O'Neill & Partners, L.P.  Mr. Gall's presentation is scheduled to begin at 4:50
p.m. (Pacific Standard Time) on March 10, 2005.

The conference will also be accessible on-demand through Sandler O'Neill's web
site at http://www.sandleroneill.com/ and through Western Sierra Bancorp's
website at http://www.westernsierrabancorp.com/ during the conference and for
30 days following the conference. Slides of Western Sierra Bancorp's
presentation will be accessible through either website and will be filed with
the SEC on a Current Report on Form 8-K prior to the presentation.

Persons interested in listening to the conference should go to the website 15
minutes prior to the start of the conference to register. It may be necessary
to download audio software to hear the presentation.

You may also listen to the conference by telephone by dialing 800-239-8730 and
referencing "Sandler O'Neill Conference Session 1."

Western Sierra Bancorp is comprised of Western Sierra Bank, Lake Community
Bank, Central California Bank and Auburn Community Bank.  The Company operates
33 Branches and loan production facilities in the counties of El Dorado,
Placer, Sacramento, Lake, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Amador, Contra
Costa, Tuolumne, and Butte.

This press release contains statements which constitute forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve risk and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results in these
forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include,
among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in economic
conditions or governmental regulation, credit quality and other factors
discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2003. 

DATASOURCE: Western Sierra Bancorp



CONTACT:  Gary D. Gall, CEO, or Anthony J. Gould, CFO, both of Western

Sierra Bancorp, [phone]



Web site:  http://www.westernsierrabancorp.com/ 

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