A 2026 America the Beautiful National Park Service annual pass features President Donald Trump's portrait. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration, saying the pass must have a contest winner photo taken in federal lands, as deemed by federal law.
Screenshot of the Department of the Interior video showing 2026 park pass designs. This design features the most recent photo contest winner, but the video indicated it will be sold to non-U.S. residents for an upcharge, "to ensure they contribute their fair share to help preserve and maintain these treasured places."
Previous 'America the Beautiful' passes compiled by the Center for Biological Diversity. The passes feature a photo contest winner, but one 2026 design feaures President Donald Trump and the Center is suing to stop it.

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 filed a lawsuit on Dec. 10, alleging the new 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 non-residents. 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 Department of the Interior did not immediately 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.

See National Park Pass design with Trump's portrait:

The Center for Biological Diversity is a nonprofit headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, aimed at protecting species from extinction. 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 it says the administration has turned into a "partisan political platform for President Trump."

Federal law also states that 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 the age of 62, disabled citizens and residents, veterans and Gold Star families, and volunteers. In the video, Burgum said the resident annual pass would sell for $80 while the annual pass for foreign visitors would sell for $250.

The lawsuit also 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.

National Parks also made changes to free days

The new pass designs come as the National Park Service 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 of the removed holidays celebrate Black history: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring the work of the civil rights leader who advocated to end racism and segregation; and Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the day the last group of enslaved people learned they were free after the Union won the Civil War.

NPS also added to what it calls "patriotic fee-free days" in 2016, including Flag Day on June 14, which is also Trump's birthday.

Trump has made rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion a key priority of his second administration. The Department of the Interior did not respond to requests for comments on explaining the changes to the NPS fee-free days, though, removing the Black history holidays has drawn criticism.

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Bluesky and TikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National park passes to feature Trump's face. Nature group sues.

Reporting by Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect