Rick Reed of Sullivan's Island has won The Post and Courier's Golden Pen Award for September for his letter to the editor, "Protect barrier island system."

Mr. Reed began his letter by expressing certainty that Brian Hicks "had his tongue in his cheek" in his Aug. 26 column about another effort to protect a small strip of land on Kiawah Island from erosion.

Mr. Reed characterized that as "another crazy attempt to block the natural evolution of barrier islands," adding:

"The impact of tunnel vision at any part of the barrier island system that protects 85 percent of our East Coast is not just a waste of money, trying to wrestle with nature. As Brian points out, it is artificially modifying the environment (Kiawah) which will impact neighbors 'downstream' (Seabrook Island)."

Mr. Reed pointed out that "much of the sand artificially renourished on the Isle of Palms has washed south, as geologists predicted, and has led to incredible accretion on Sullivan's Island."

He urged the adoption of "a long-term plan" to protect "an emerging maritime forest" on Sullivan's Island rather than "destroying it by artificially creating an unobstructed view of the ocean for a few."

He concluded: "Good environmental management balances sensitive development, avoids resource depletion, prevents pollution and introduction of unnatural habitat, and stabilizes coastal communities like Charleston, dependent upon barrier islands to provide a natural buffer from storms."

Golden Pen winners are invited to an annual luncheon with the editorial staff.

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