$16,950 Raised for Tree Planting in the Hylebos Watershed

Federal Way, WA – November 26, 2007 – The future of Federal Way, Milton and Fife just got greener. Friends of the Hylebos announced today that the inaugural HomeStreet Bank Tree Challenge raised $16,950 for tree planting efforts in the Hylebos Creek Watershed. Donations included a $10,000 donation for tree planting in the Pierce County side of the watershed.

“The outpouring of support for Hylebos Watershed tree planting exceeded our wildest expectations,” said Friends of the Hylebos Executive Director Chris Carrel. “Healthy forests are essential to sustaining clean air and clean water in our communities and they provide us with a dose of the natural world that’s good for the soul. These generous donations speak to the passion for retaining forests in our urban and suburban communities.”

Boosting the tree fundraiser was an outstanding donation of $10,000 from the William and Elizabeth Hyde Fund for the Environment of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. Those funds will be directed toward Friends’ tree planting efforts in the Pierce County portion of the watershed.

The Friends’ Hylebos Creek Conservation Initiative seeks to preserve and restore 745 acres and 10 miles of Hylebos Creek over the next 20 years. The group and its partners have successfully preserved more than 400 acres of the Hylebos Initiative area and are actively restoring these lands. The Friends and its volunteers have planted more than 29,000 trees in the past seven years.

Founded in 1921, family- and employee-owned HomeStreet Bank is one of the largest private banks in the Northwest. Headquartered in Seattle, the company has assets of $2.57 billion and a network of 30 branch and mortgage offices in the Northwest and Hawaii. HomeStreet Bank offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, business lending, consumer banking, mortgage lending, residential construction financing, income property financing and insurance services. HomeStreet Bank has two key areas of corporate support: housing and homes, and parks and open spaces. Each year, HomeStreet Bank contributes at least two percent of its pre-tax profits to organizations in its communities.