Google cleared forest in Finland before its impact review was done, and residents report wolves in villages

What happened in Finland

As technews.tw reported, citing foreign media, Google's Finnish subsidiary, Tuike Finland Oy, began clearing land at two development sites, Muhos and Otanmäki. The work started before the environmental impact assessment, a formal review of how a project could affect nature, was complete. About 1,300 acres of forest were cleared.

Finnish authorities then stepped in. They told Google to stop all preparation work at both sites that could substantially change the environment until the review is finished.

Why the regulators objected

The authorities pointed out that site preparation is more than cutting trees. It also strips away topsoil, builds construction roads, sets up storage areas and alters ditches and drainage channels.

In their view, all of that has a major environmental effect and needs review first.

Residents and the wolves

Residents of Otanmäki say that after the felling, wildlife that lived in the forest was pushed out, and wolves have come into villages. They believe the animals are approaching people because their habitat was destroyed. Some also worry that soil and ground changes from construction could affect nearby water and ecosystems.

These are residents' accounts. Nothing in the report establishes that the clearing caused the wolf sightings.

Google's response

Google said it understands the concerns and admitted the handling did not meet its own high standards. It says it acted under Finland's Forest Act and carried out nature surveys and protective measures. It also proposed replanting about 130 hectares at Muhos, though the report notes this is clearly smaller than the area cleared.

The dispute comes as Google pursues a multibillion-euro investment plan in Finland to expand data centers for cloud services, digital business and AI computing. Finland is seen as a good location because of its cool climate, low-carbon electricity and available land.