Bloody Ridge National Park Declared Free of Illegal Settlers

BY CHRIS ALEX

BLOODY Ridge National Park has been officially cleared of all illegal settlers. This announcement comes seven years after the park was declared, marking a new chapter for the only national park in the Solomon Islands.

Bloody Ridge, or Edson’s Ridge, near Honiara was fought over by Japanese and American troops during the Battle of Guadalcanal, which claimed nearly 40,000 lives.

A team from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s (MCT) tourism division confirmed to in a press statement earlier this week that the last of the 44 settlers have vacated the park. The campaign to reclaim Bloody Ridge began a year ago with an intensive community awareness program.

This program was a collaborative effort involving the Attorney General’s chambers, the Ministry of Lands, and the local community policing unit.

The campaign’s success is attributed to the cooperation of these bodies and the settlers themselves, who respected the eviction order and left peacefully.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in partnership with Kahuto Pacific’s Impact Initiative, is now focusing on developing Bloody Ridge into a world-class WWII visitor attraction.

The park, declared in 2017, is historically significant as the site of the pivotal Battle of Bloody Ridge, also known as the Battle of Edson’s Ridge. This battle, fought from September 12-14, 1942, was a crucial engagement between Japanese and US ground forces during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

To transform this historic site into a prominent tourist destination, the Solomon Islands Tourism Division has embarked on an extensive effort to accurately map the area. This initiative is essential for planning future developments and preserving the site’s historical integrity.

The team utilized a combination of aerial and ground controls to capture detailed data, creating both a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with precise contours.

These developments are poised to enhance the park’s appeal, offering visitors an immersive experience of a significant WWII battleground while contributing to the preservation of the Solomon Islands’ cultural heritage, Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s (MCT). 

The successful eviction of settlers and the ongoing mapping and development efforts mark a significant step towards realizing the vision of Bloody Ridge National Park as a world-class tourist attraction.

According to a statement by Commissioner of Lands Alan McNeil published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism:

“Removing illegal squatters from government land is never a simple proposition. I’m very impressed at the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to have moved the illegal squatters from the Bloody Ridge National Park area, without having to resort to force or compensation. I congratulate the Ministry for taking the time and effort to meet with the residents in this area and explain the national and historical significance of the site, leading to their voluntary movement away from the area.

“Currently a cleanup operation is underway, to remove trash and building material left behind by settlers. The short-term goal is to restore the park to its natural state at the time of the battle, before the development of the park into a heritage site and tourism attraction. Permanent secretary of Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bunyan Sivoro explained his ministry’s vision for the park:

“Now that we have regained control of the park there is much to do. We don’t want the Park to be a closed off place for the sake of preserving a historical site. This should be a place of learning about the very significant role Solomon Islands played in history of WWII. We want to it to be both a tourism attraction for visitors and a place of learning and contemplation for Solomon Islanders. I would like to see everyone passing by “Honiara visiting Bloody Ridge, as well as every local school in and around Honiara. To begin with we need to keep the park secure which we hope to do by engaging the community. Over time this role should evolve from basic security into proper park rangers. The rangers will look after the park, its heritage, environment as well as visitors. We need visitor facilities such as toilets, shelters, sitting areas, and parking. Over time we want to develop walking trails with informative interpretation that tells the story of the actual battle. Once all that is in place we want to develop a national WWII museum on site. Ultimately, we want Bloody Ridge to become the no 1 WWII attraction in the Pacific.”