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DURANGO, COLO. (AP) -- President Barack Obama is creating a national monument at a dramatic rock formation in southwestern Colorado on a site that was home to the ancestors of modern Pueblo Indians 1,000 years ago.

Obama is expected to sign a proclamation Friday to preserve nearly 5,000 acres of high desert at Chimney Rock, which holds spiritual significance for some tribes.

The move has bipartisan support and comes as Obama is locked in a tight race with Mitt Romney in the swing state.

Sen. Michael Bennet, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are among those planning to attend a celebration at Chimney Rock on Friday.

To mark the occasion, the Pagosa Brewing Company will also release a commemorative beer using ingredients that were used by the Ancestral Puebloans.

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