WASHINGTON — A public lands advocacy group sued the Trump administration in federal court Wednesday over the inclusion of President Donald Trump’s face on the forthcoming National Park annual pass.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that alleges the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture violated the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which requires department officials to feature an image on the annual pass chosen from a public photo contest.
The 16-page complaint alleges the administration has replaced a contest-winning photo of Montana’s Glacier National Park on the annual pass for U.S. residents with a graphic featuring the images of George Washington and Trump commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The photo of Glacier National Park will still be featured on the administration’s newly created, more expensive non-resident pass, according to the lawsuit.
“The Interior Department’s bait-and-switch betrays the expectations of the thousands of people who participate in the contest and is directly at odds with the public participation mandates of the statute,” according to the complaint. “It also undermines the stability of this well-established program and the conservation, recreational, and educational outcomes (the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act) provides.”
The White House and the Department of Interior did not immediately respond to States Newsroom’s request for comment.
In a statement, the center’s Executive Director Kierán Suckling said, “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.”
“The national parks are treasured by Americans of every stripe. Their timeless power and magnificence rise above even the most bitter political differences to quietly bring all Americans together. 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 national parks are not a personal branding opportunity,” Suckling said.
Passes in recent years have featured photos of Everglades National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Range National Park, San Juan National Forest, Redwood National Forest, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Acadia National Park, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Nantahala National Forest.
The America the Beautiful annual pass is $80 for U.S. residents and provides entry to every national park and special fee areas of national forests, wildlife refuges and other national lands.
The new nonresident annual pass is priced at $250.
Sales of the pass generated $119.4 million in revenue in 2023 that went back into the care and maintenance of the parks, according to data included in the court filing.
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
MORE FROM DC:
Congresswoman Biggs Leads Push for Firearm Reform
Trump Administration Opens Rulemaking Process Following Letter from Biggs and 27 House Republicans
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Sheri Biggs is marking progress in the fight to defend Second Amendment rights after the ATF responded to a letter she led, joined by 27 of her House colleagues, urging reform of outdated firearm travel regulations. Just days after receiving the letter, the Trump administration opened a public rulemaking process to examine and modernize how the ATF handles interstate travel with short-barreled firearms.
The move reflects growing momentum to ease unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and modernize a decades-old system that no longer serves the public or law enforcement effectively.
“Law-abiding citizens in South Carolina and across the country should not have to register their firearm every time they cross a state line,” said Congresswoman Biggs. “This process is outdated, it doesn't improve safety, and it infringes on constitutional rights. We’ve gotten this issue moving in the right direction, and now we’ll keep pushing until these reforms are finalized.”
National Firearm Rights Groups Applaud the Effort
“NRA-ILA applauds Representative Sheri Biggs for leading this letter. Americans should not have to ask the government for permission to travel with their lawfully owned firearms,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA. “The Second Amendment does not stop at the state line. It is long past due for the ATF to amend the notification requirement for the interstate transportation of short-barreled firearms.”
“Gun owners should not have to beg a bureaucrat's permission each time they wish to cross state lines with their lawfully owned firearms to go hunting, compete in a shooting event, or protect themselves while traveling,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs at Gun Owners of America. “We thank Congresswoman Sheri Biggs for urging the ATF to reform its outdated and unnecessary process by allowing a gun owner to automatically receive lifetime approval to travel with their short-barreled firearms when they first acquire the firearm.”
The lawmakers argue that the current rule is legally unnecessary, administratively burdensome, and technologically outdated. Lawful NFA firearm owners already undergo enhanced vetting, including fingerprinting, federal tax payments, and background checks under 26 U.S.C. § 5812 and § 5841.
The letter requests that the ATF allow lifetime travel approval for legally owned SBRs and SBSs at the time of registration, avoiding repetitive use of Form 5320.20 for each trip. It also cites recent Supreme Court rulings (Heller, Bruen) that emphasize historical traditions and constitutional protections for firearms ownership.
Following the lawmakers’ letter, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives opened a 60-day public comment period to review and revise the current process for transporting short-barreled firearms across state lines. The proposed changes would modernize Form 5320.20 by allowing full digital submission through ATF’s eForms platform, eliminating mailing delays and paperwork redundancies. While the underlying registration requirement remains in place, the agency’s action signals a willingness to modernize an outdated system; a step aligned with concerns raised in the letter led by Congresswoman Biggs.
Signers of the Letter:
Sheri Biggs, Jeff Crank, Scott DesJarlais, Tony Wied, Clay Higgins, Pat Harrigan, Mary E. Miller, W. Gregory Steube, Ben Cline, David J. Taylor, Cory Mills, Lance Gooden, Kat Cammack, Brian Babin, Mike Haridopolos, Wesley Hunt, Ralph Norman, Andy Ogles, Derek Schmidt, Lauren Boebert, Rich McCormick, John Rose, Richard Hudson, Mike Collins, Abraham Hamadeh, Diana Harshbarger, Riley Moore.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.-04), and Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas-21) in filing an amicus brief defending the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. The brief argues that the Ten Commandments are part of the United States’ historical foundation and contends that displaying the Commandments is consistent with longstanding national traditions and with the First Amendment. The brief further maintains that the government may acknowledge religion’s role in American life without establishing a state religion or coercing religious observance.
Sen. Scott said, "Our nation was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles, the key reason America has been so blessed. From my time serving on the Charleston County Council to now, I have been resolute in defending the display of the Ten Commandments in our public schools. These universal principles have built the historical and moral foundation of the United States and protecting this heritage in our schools helps students understand the values, laws, and civic culture that have guided our nation for generations."
Sen. Cruz said, “As the Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged, the Ten Commandments were foundational to Western legal tradition, including the common-law system that shaped American law, and this case is critical to reaffirming our commitment to the principles that have guided America since our founding. I was proud to represent Texas in successfully defending the Texas Ten Commandments Capitol monument in Van Orden v. Perry (2005). Public displays of the Ten Commandments reinforce the founding principles for current and future generations, and are crucial to shaping a shared civic culture. I hope the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will uphold the ruling.”
Sen. Cornyn said, “I’m proud to stand with Senator Cruz in supporting Texas’ law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools across the Lone Star State. The Ten Commandments ensure students are reminded of the Judeo-Christian values that have shaped our state and nation.”
Speaker Johnson said, “While some states have sought to erase American history and the motivations that have undergirded our Republic, others, like Louisiana and Texas, took bold action to ensure schoolchildren are taught the history and traditions of the United States. The Ten Commandments – adorned both inside and outside the U.S. Supreme Court – served as essential building blocks for Western Civilization and are deeply embedded in the history of this country. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me in filing this amicus brief, and we hope the Court follows well-established precedent and affirms the importance of teaching the fundamental foundations of our country.”
Rep. Roy said, “America was founded as a nation grounded in a distinctly Christian understanding, and the Ten Commandments are intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage. Christianity and the rule of law have been under attack by radical progressives who dare to upend Western civilization and steer America’s youth away from the morals that made our country great. Placing the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Texas affirms that we are a Judeo-Christian nation, upholding our historical and moral heritage and proclaiming the Ten Commandments as a guiding path for a righteous way of life.”
Joining the brief were Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Reps. Brian Babin (R-Texas-36), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.-05), Sheri Biggs (R-S.C.-03), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.-04), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.-02), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.-07), Ben Cline (R-Va.-06), Michael Cloud (R-Texas-27), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.-09), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.-02), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas-02), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas-15), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.-19), Pat Fallon (R-Texas-04), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho-01), Brandon Gill (R-Texas-26), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas-23), Lance Gooden (R-Texas-05), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.-09), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.-09), Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Andy Harris (R-Md.-01), Mark Harris (R-N.C.-08), and Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.-01).
Background
The Senate amicus brief is in support of Texas’s S.B. 10 in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, now before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The Texas law directs public schools to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in each classroom using the same text upheld by the Supreme Court in Van Orden v. Perry.
###
