The primary objective of GAP is to provide information on the distribution and status of several elements of biological diversity. This is accomplished by first producing: maps of land cover, predicted distributions for selected animal species and land stewardship and management status. Intersecting the land stewardship and management map with the distribution of the elements results in tables that summarize the area and percent of total mapped distribution of each element in different land stewardship and management categories. The data are provided in a format that allows users to carry out inquiries about the representation of each element in different land stewardship and management categories as appropriate to their own management objectives. This forms the basis of GAP’s mission to provide land owners and managers with the information necessary to conduct informed policy development, planning and management for biodiversity maintenance.