A legal battle has erupted over the future image of the National Parks Pass, igniting a fierce debate about the proper place – if any – for a president’s likeness on America’s public lands.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit Wednesday, challenging the Trump administration’s decision to replace the winning photograph from a national contest with a portrait of the former president on the annual pass.
The lawsuit alleges a direct violation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, claiming the administration bypassed established procedures and disregarded the public’s choice in favor of self-promotion.
Kierán Suckling, the center’s executive director, didn’t mince words, calling the move “Trump’s crassest, most ego-driven action yet.” He argued that national parks represent a shared American heritage, transcending political divides.
The original plan for the 2026 “America the Beautiful” pass was to showcase a stunning image of Glacier National Park, the clear winner of the public photo contest. Instead, the Department of the Interior substituted it with a close-up of President Trump’s face.
The winning Glacier National Park photograph wasn’t discarded entirely; it was relegated to a separate pass designated for “Nonresidents,” a move the lawsuit claims was also illegal.
The Center for Biological Diversity contends the administration illegally created new “Resident” and “Nonresident” pass categories, directly contradicting the stipulations of the governing law.
Suckling passionately defended the sanctity of the parks, stating they are “not a personal branding opportunity,” but rather “the pride and joy of the American people.”
The administration’s broader changes to the pass system included adding President Trump’s birthday as a fee-free day for park visitors, while simultaneously removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days.
Beyond the image itself, the lawsuit paints a picture of a deliberate attempt to politicize a beloved national institution, transforming a symbol of natural beauty into a vehicle for personal aggrandizement.
The core argument isn’t simply about a photograph; it’s about preserving the integrity of America’s national parks and ensuring they remain a unifying force, free from the intrusion of partisan politics.
Suckling concluded with a stark contrast: “America the Beautiful means wild rivers and majestic mountains, not a headshot of a bloated, fragile, attention-seeking ego. There’s nothing beautiful about that.”
