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It has not been established that Google illegally cleared forest in Finland. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation alleges that more than 300 hectares were clear-cut for a planned data center in Muhos, exceeding a 200-hectare environmental-assessment threshold it says applies. Finnish authorities were investigating as of October 2, 2026, and had not issued a final decision on legality.
What happened in Muhos?
The allegation concerns a planned data-center site at Leppiniemi in Muhos, in Finland’s Northern Ostrobothnia region. The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation says Google’s Finnish project company, Tuike Finland Oy, arranged for more than 300 hectares of forest to be clear-cut there in winter 2025–26 or early 2026, before Google publicly announced its Finnish investment program.
The area is the association’s reported figure, not an official measurement or a finding by a court or regulator. The association says the clearing was for a permanent change in land use connected to the data-center project.
Why does the environmental-assessment threshold matter?
The association argues that a permanent land-use change affecting more than 200 hectares requires an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before it proceeds. It says the reported Muhos clearing crossed that threshold without the required assessment.
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The central legal question is not just how many hectares were cut. Authorities must determine whether the work legally amounted to the kind of permanent land-use change covered by the threshold, and whether any other permits or exemptions applied. The association’s allegation is not itself a determination that an EIA was legally required or that the project violated the law.
Was the Muhos zoning plan in force when the clearing began?
Muhos municipal council approved the relevant detailed plan on March 3, 2026, according to the association. The group says the plan was appealed and therefore was not legally effective when clearing began. Whether the plan’s appeal status affected the work, and how it interacts with the EIA question, is part of the dispute; the available accounts do not establish a final legal conclusion on either issue.
What are Finnish authorities investigating?
Yle reported in September 2026 that the Permits and Supervision Agency had requested explanations from the municipalities and Google’s project company. The agency said the situation was “very unclear” and that the matter was still being investigated. Its inquiry also covers Google’s planned Otanmäki site in Kajaani, in the Kainuu region.
As of October 2, 2026, the cited reports describe an ongoing inquiry, not a completed regulator decision or court judgment. They do not establish that the Muhos or Kajaani work was unlawful.
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What does Google say?
Google’s position, as reported by Helsinki Times, is that the tree felling complied with Finland’s Forest Act. The company said: “Trees have been felled on Google-owned land in Muhos and Kajaani fully in accordance with the requirements of the Forest Act.” That is Google’s account of compliance with the Forest Act; it does not resolve the separate questions about environmental assessment, zoning, or other applicable requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does the dispute fit into Google’s Finnish expansion?
On September 9, 2026, Google announced at least €13 billion in Finnish digital infrastructure investment for 2027–2028. The program covers Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala, and Google said it would include ecological restoration of former forestry lands near those communities.
Google’s data-center project page says the company acquired 2,100 hectares in Muhos and Kajaani for potential future data-center development. That figure describes the combined land acquisition stated on the page, not the size of the reported Muhos clear-cut.
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