EXHIBIT 99
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                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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                                                                  MARCH 11, 2002

   Contacts:        J. James Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer   (253) 305-0604
                    Gary R. Schminkey, Executive Vice President and
                       Chief Financial Officer                    (253) 305-1966

                          COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.
                         APPROVES STOCK REPURCHASE PLAN

           TACOMA, WA - Columbia Banking System, Inc. announced today that its
Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program. Under the
program, Columbia may repurchase up to 500,000 of its outstanding shares of
Common Stock. Those shares represent approximately 4 percent of the 12,619,831
million common shares currently outstanding. Columbia intends to purchase the
shares from time to time in the open market or in private transactions, under
conditions which allow such repurchases to be accretive to earnings while
maintaining capital ratios that exceed the guidelines for a well-capitalized
financial institution.

           "The Board's decision to authorize this additional stock repurchase
program illustrates our belief that Columbia common stock represents good value
at recent and current prices," said J. James Gallagher, Columbia's Chief
Executive Officer.

           Columbia is a Tacoma-based bank holding company whose wholly owned
subsidiary is Columbia State Bank, a Washington state-chartered, full-service
commercial bank, with 34 banking offices in Pierce, King, Cowlitz, Kitsap and
Thurston counties. Columbia's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market
under the symbol COLB.

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                    Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes forward looking statements, which management believes
are a benefit to shareholders. These forward looking statements describe
Columbia's management's expectations regarding future events and developments
such as future operating results, growth in loans and deposits, continued
success of Columbia's style of banking and the strength of the local economy.
The words "will," "believe," "expect," "should," and "anticipate" and words of
similar construction are intended in part to help identify forward looking
statements. Future events are difficult to predict, and the expectations
described above are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty that may cause
actual results to differ materially and adversely. In addition to discussions
about risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in Columbia's filings
with the SEC, factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from
those contemplated by such forward looking statements include, among others, the
following possibilities: (1) local and national general and economic conditions,
including the impact of the events of September 11, 2001, are less favorable
than expected or have a more direct and pronounced effect on Columbia than
expected and adversely affect Columbia's ability to continue its internal growth
at historical rates and maintain the quality of its earning assets; (2) changes
in interest rates reduce interest margins more than expected and negatively
affect funding sources; (3) projected business increases following strategic
expansion or opening or acquiring new branches are lower than expected; (4)
costs or difficulties related to the integration of acquisitions are greater
than expected; (5) competitive pressure among financial institutions increases
significantly; (6) legislation or regulatory requirements or changes adversely
affect the businesses in which Columbia is engaged.