Portugal's forest ranger teams await long-promised career status

A Lusa report followed two forest ranger teams in Figueira da Foz, one of only 12 Portuguese municipalities with two such teams, according to ICNF data from July 2025. The rangers clear vegetation, remove invasive species, fight Asian hornet nests and open forest tracks, work funded by roughly 65,000 euros per team from the state, covering six months of public service. Despite the physical toll and unpredictable terrain, workers described attachment to the job while pressing for professional career recognition that has long been promised but not delivered.