 Island Press originated in northern California in 1978 as a publisher of books on the human relationship to the natural world.In 1984, the Press re-organized to focus exclusively on books for people working on solutions to environmental problems, defined broadly to include the protection of biodiversity, land use planning, environmental issues related to international trade, and other topics.As part of this refocusing, Island Press moved its main office to Washington, D.C., where it remains today.