Illinois land cover is a product of the Critical Trends Assessment Project (CTAP), an ongoing process within the Department of Natural Resources' Office of Realty and Environmental Planning to assess the extent and condition of the state's ecosystems. Coordinated by the Division of Energy and Environmental Assessment, it is a multi-disciplinary effort involving the Scientific Surveys and other Natural Resource Agencies. Phase II will develop, test and implement tools to systematically monitor changes in ecological and environmental conditions. The land cover initiative, part of Phase II, developed the baseline data necessary to monitor change in Illinois' land cover.