In October of 1998, Friends of Camano Island Parks (FOCIP) met with the
previous owners (the Natolis) and discussed the sale of their property
to Island County as a Conservation Futures Fund Project. Following the
owner's agreement, FOCIP, a charitable volunteer organization on Camano
Island, sponsored the 50 acre property including buildings as a
Conservation Futures application. After it was determined that the
Conservation Futures Funds could only be applied to the land purchase
and not the buildings, FOCIP conducted a fund raising project to assist
in the purchase of the complete property. Between the summer of 2000 and
spring of 2001, FOCIP raised $224,000. The property was purchased in
late spring of 2001. A committee of FOCIP members began in 2001 to work
with the Island County Parks supervisor to develop the guidelines,
mission statement and other criteria to prepare the property as a public
day-use park and an event/conference reservation area. The first phase
of the necessary upgrading of the building facility for reservation use
began in 2004 utilizing Island County funds. FOCIP has donated Four
Springs House furnishings and trail signage in addition to stewardship
maintenance activity for the park day use which opened in November of
2004. Reserved building use began in May of 2005.