Matti Luostarinen is retiring after more than 40 years of work

Forestry engineer Matti Luostarinen arrives at the meeting and apologizes right at the start: the phone rings and he has to answer it.

The caller inquires about the possibility of knocking trees on the edge of the plot for firewood.

But that's okay. The call summarizes something essential about Luostarinen's work in the city - customer service.

— At best, it has happened that during one call there have been 29 unanswered calls, he laughs.

Most often, the caller asks for permission to cut down a tree on city land.

— The people of Imatra are terribly obedient people. According to my experience, there are hardly any thefts in forests. If someone has ever stolen a Christmas tree, the customer service has a letter of apology written in the trembling handwriting of an old person waiting for them after Christmas.

In addition, there are many calls from representatives of associations and clubs. They are asking about the possibility of risusavota.

But we'll get back to that later.

Cooperation with contractors has gone seamlessly

Luostarinen has a career spanning almost 41 years as the city's forestry engineer.

He is responsible for the city's forests: currently around 1800 hectares, of which around 500 hectares are forestry land.

He has taken care of their care, cultivation and sale for decades.

— That part of the work has basically remained the same since the beginning. Factories need wood in the same way now as they did 40 years ago, he says.

On the other hand, however, everything has changed. When Luostarinen started, the city had four own loggers working, and wood sales were done as procurement felling.

For a long time, the shops have been done as a vertical shop, and there haven't even been our own loggers for years. Instead, the work is done by contractors.

— I can't help but thank them: their professionalism, local knowledge and commitment are really good, which has also made my own work easier. A very big thank you to them.

Risusavotas and landscape care plots Luostarinen's ideas

But let's get back to that rift.

During his years of work, Luostarinen has created a model in which representatives of associations and clubs can collect operating money for their association.

Another operating method worth mentioning is Luostarinen's model of distributing landscape maintenance plots to municipal residents with a fee for firewood.

— Of course, I would like these things to continue after my time. I think it's a win-win situation, the landscape improves and all parties benefit.

Of course, the successor has free hands to carry out the work as he sees fit, he continues.

— I think, or actually I know, that at least the digi digi jobs on the forest side are starting to go better than before after our absence. It's definitely a step forward, he smiles.

Luostarinen will be on summer vacation on Friday, June 9.6. He will return to City Hall in September for two weeks, after which his well-deserved retirement days will begin.

For more information:

Forestry engineer Matti Luostarinen, matte. monasticimatra.fi, tel. 020 617 4452

12.6. starting with forestry engineer Teemu Viljakainen, teemu. cerealimatra.fi,  +020 617 XNUMX 4452