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Rep. Buck: 'No More Acting Like King Barack'

DENVER (CBS4)- Colorado Republican Representative Ken Buck is joining other GOP leaders in claiming that President Barack Obama has abused his authority.

In response to the president's designating the Browns Canyon National Monument in southwestern Colorado, Buck said, Obama should "cut it out."

"He is not king. No more acting like King Barack," said Buck.

Browns Canyon is located in Chaffee County near the Sawatch Mountain Range, about 7 miles northwest of Salida and south of Buena Vista. The 21,000-acre site along the Arkansas River is popular for whitewater rafting.

Browns Canyon
Browns Canyon (credit: CBS)

But not everyone thinks the designation is a good idea. Some Republicans, including Buck, renewed their complaints over the newest designations, especially the Colorado site, the largest in size by far among the three new monuments.

Rep. Doug Lamborn, another Republican representing Southern Colorado, called the move a "top-down, big-government land grab by the president that disenfranchises the concerned citizens in the Browns Canyon region" in central Colorado, about 140 miles southwest of Denver.

Outdoors and wildlife groups applauded the Browns Canyon designation, saying it would allow future generations to enjoy its spectacular landscapes, world-class whitewater rafting, hunting and fishing.

Former Democratic Sen. Mark Udall praised the action, calling it "a landmark victory for the thousands of Coloradans who have stood up and asked their leaders for years to protect this special place."

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