Lawsuit aims to block 2026 parks pass design

Kinsey Crowley

USA TODAY

Some of the National Park Service’s 2026 annual pass designs bear President Donald Trump’s face, but an environmental group is suing to stop it.

The Center for Biological Diversity – a nonprofit aimed at protecting species from extinction – filed a lawsuit Dec.10 alleging the design violates a law that requires the America the Beautiful pass to feature a photo taken on public lands that won an annual photo contest.

On Nov.25, the Department of the Interior announced 'new, modernized graphics for all annual passes, featuring bold, patriotic designs that honor America’s landscapes, heritage and outdoor legacy.'

A later video from Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum indicates the winner of the latest contest, a photo of Glacier National Park by Akshay Joshi, would be featured on a pass for nonresidents. The center’s lawsuit also alleges creating a new pass delineation between U.S. residents and foreign tourists is also in violation of the law.

For the annual pass for U.S. residents, Burgum pointed to a pass that showed Trump’s official presidential portrait next to George Washington’s.

'Blotting out the majesty of America’s national parks with a closeup of his own face is Trump’s crassest, most ego-driven action yet,' Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. 'It’s disgusting of Trump to politicize America’s most sacred refuge by pasting his face over the national parks in the same way he slaps his corporate name on buildings, restaurants, and golf courses.'

The lawsuit included the photos of previous years’ passes, which show scenic vistas and wildlife characters from public lands.

'Every winning Annual America the Beautiful Pass in the 12 years prior to 2026 was photographed on federal lands or waters, was not controversial or inappropriate, nor noticeably or excessively altered,' the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration’s decision is harmful for undercutting the contest results and forcing those who choose to get a pass to have a card that has been turned into a 'partisan political platform for President Trump.'

Federal law also states the departments can only make discounts for six groups in addition to the main America the Beautiful pass, according to the lawsuit. Those six groups are armed forces and their dependents, residents over age 62, disabled citizens and residents, veterans and Gold Star families, and volunteers. Yet, in the video, Burgum said the resident annual pass would be $80 while the annual pass for foreign visitors would sell for $250.

The Department of the Interior did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Agriculture, also named in the lawsuit along with Secretary Brooke Rollins, declined to comment on ongoing litigation.

The new pass designs come as the National Park Service also has made some controversial changes to its free access days. The free access days will only be available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Two national holidays that celebrate Black history – Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth – were removed from what NPS calls 'patriotic fee-free days' in 2026 while Flag Day on June14, which is also Trump’s birthday, was added.