Chaco has introduced a collection of limited-edition products that directly benefits the defense of Bears Ears National Monument. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the collection will go to two non-profits dedicated to protecting the monument and the 1.3 million acres of cultural and ecologically significant public land it includes.

“We recognize the immense value of our country’s public lands and are committed to their permanent protection,” said Seth Cobb, Chaco’s president. “Bears Ears is under attack from politicians in Utah and Washington, D.C., and we are proud to support two non-profit organizations, Diné Bikéyah and Friends of Cedar Mesa, in their tireless efforts to defend this spectacular landscape. ”

The Chaco Bears Ears collection is highlighted by made in the U.S.A., limited-edition Z sandals, featuring a unique webbing design inspired by the twin buttes of the Bears Ears, a graphic print Bears Ears T-shirt and wrist wrap.

On April 26, President Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review Bears Ears National Monument within 45 days, and to make a recommendation on all other monuments designated since 1996. A delegation of politicians from Utah has repeatedly requested that the President rescind the Bears Ears designation, part of a larger strategy to transfer federally-owned public lands to state control, where they could be potentially auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Diné Bikéyah is a nonprofit organization that supports indigenous communities by protecting their culturally significant, ancestral lands. Utah Diné Bikéyah was instrumental in proposing national monument designation for the Bears Ears area, which includes thousands of Native American archeological sites. Willie Grayeyes, board chairman of Utah Diné Bikéyah, said, “I believe Bears Ears National Monument to be the most qualified area designated in the past 21 years, and also the most thoroughly studied, researched and vetted by all sides. This monument enjoys wide support in Utah, is an economic driver for our reservation communities here in San Juan County and it enables more local control and stewardship of the region by local tribes and Utahns.”

Friends of Cedar Mesa is a conservation-focused nonprofit working to ensure that the public lands in San Juan County, with all their cultural and natural values, are respected and protected for future generations. Josh Ewing, executive director of Friends of Cedar Mesa said, “With more archaeological sites than any other national monument or national park, Bears Ears National Monument protects American history while providing us all the opportunity to be inspired by those who came before us.”

To learn more about Bears Ears, Chaco’s advocacy efforts, how to get involved or purchase the Chcaco limited edition collection go to chacos.com.

Photo courtesy Chaco