Front Matter -- Executive Summary -- 1 Minerals Science and Information: The Federal Role -- 2 The Mineral Resources Program Today -- 3 The 1996 National Research Council Review of the Mineral Resource Surveys Program and the USGS Response -- 4 The Minerals Information Team -- 5 Envisioning the Future Mineral Resources Program -- References -- APPENDIXES -- A Mineral Resources and Society: A Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Resource Surveys Program Plan -- B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members -- C Information Provided to the Committee -- D Commodities Surveyed by the Minerals Information Team.