National Energy Policy Announcement of Invitation to the Public To Assist in the Formulation of a Comprehensive Policy.

The White House today announced it was issuing a broad invitation to the public to assist, through its comments, in the formulation of a comprehensive national energy policy by April 20.

James R. Schlesinger, Assistant to the President on energy matters, said the invitation was being extended in a letter to some 450,000 citizens and through publication of a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

Some 300,000 of the letters were sent to private citizens selected at random from Bureau of Census lists and meant to represent a cross-section of the population.

Other letters went to: 6,000 members of the League of Women Voters, environmentalists, conservationists, and members of other public interest groups; 4,500 State and local officials; almost 20,000 members of the academic community; leaders of labor organizations; every Member of Congress; some 115,000 representatives of both small and large businesses and industries, and 3,000 individuals from the news media.

The mailing was undertaken to supplement the reach of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. It consists of an announcement from Mr. Schlesinger and a reprint of the FEDERAL REGISTER notice.

The effort is in keeping with President Carter's commitment to involve the public as much as possible in the affairs of their Government.

Citizens are urged to return written replies to P.O. Box 2778, Washington, D.C. 20013, by March 21.

Among the issues on which citizens are asked to comment are:

--the proper actions to achieve conservation of energy resources;

--the proper scope and emphasis in developing new or additional energy resources;

--the approach for the proper protection of the environment;

--the appropriate role for Federal, State, and local government;

--the most equitable approach to the sharing of any burdens fairly within the society, as well as other matters.