Soon the group of staunch supporters realized that protecting the Arctic Refuge was going to be harder than expected. Setting aside the Range was virtually impossible to do through Congress, because the congressional delegation of Alaska was adamantly opposed to any withdrawals of land for conservation purposes. Hunter and others began fighting for the Refuge unofficially until they decided they would need to form an organization in order to be most effective. The Alaska Conservation Society (ACS), Alaska's first statewide conservation organization, was formed in 1960, proving a venue for Hunter and others to testify on behalf of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Unfortunately, support for ANWR came primarily from congressional delegates and other conservationists outside of Alaska, and there was nothing that got the Alaskan delegation more riled up than a bunch of outsiders coming in and telling Alaska how to manage its resources. Hunter remarked, "OK, if you don't want to listen to people from Outside, you better listen to us." Voting members of ACS were required to be Alaskan residents. Despite strong opposition from Alaska's senators and lone congressman, a presidential proclamation by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton created the Wildlife Refuge shortly before Eisenhower left office in 1960. Following this success, ACS continued to serve as a vehicle through which Alaskans could be heard on conservation issues. Hunter acted as the executive secretary of ACS for the next 12 years.