WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of violating U.S. law by replacing the winning photograph from the annual national parks contest with an image featuring President Donald Trump. The lawsuit argues the Interior Department improperly removed the Glacier National Park photo selected through the long-running “Share the Experience” contest, substituting a George Washington–and–Trump graphic on the 2026 America the Beautiful pass.
The complaint says the switch violates the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which requires the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to hold a yearly photography contest that determines the image displayed on the $80 annual pass for U.S. residents. Records show past passes have featured scenes from Everglades, Sequoia, and Acadia national parks. Contest participants and environmental advocates say the sudden swap represents a “bait-and-switch” that politicizes a program intended to celebrate public lands.
The lawsuit also notes that the contest-winning Glacier photo has been reassigned to a newly created $250 nonresident pass, while the Trump image appears on the standard 2026 pass. The filing argues the change undermines the tradition of using natural landscapes to unite Americans across political lines. The Interior Department, which recently added Trump’s birthday as a park free-entry day while removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list, did not respond to requests for comment.
The group is asking the court to block the use of Trump’s image and compel compliance with contest requirements.
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