When the Quarry at Iron Mountain was initially opened, KB Home took great pride in its efforts to preserve the trees. All of the lots were untouched until a buyer picked out their floor plan and home site. Once this had occurred, the KB architects would place a home on the lot in such a way that preserved the most Oak trees, and would mark which trees had to be removed prior to excavation. The selected trees were carefully chosen and removed with a bobcat on a lot by lot basis. This practice held strong during the time KB home was offering the Estate and Liberty series.

Shortly after the introduction of the Trails and Empire series, KB Home excavated the remaining vacant lots and demolished the mature trees on these lots with the exception of ten to fifteen back from the rear property line. This demolition technique is commonly referred to as "clear cutting". Many of these trees could have been saved and preserved if the previous construction and excavation methods previously in placed were used. However, the machinery and excavation principles differed greatly from the initial 51% of the neighborhood. This resulted in devastation of scenery, nature, and large beautiful oak trees that will be replaced by two inexpensive baby oak trees per lot.

When KB Home was asked about this new construction practice never before seen in the previous 51% of the community, the representatives of KB said it would to lower construction costs of the remaining homes to be built, and allow KB Home to build the homes quicker once they were sold. Based on this explanation, the neighborhood aesthetics were destroyed to make more profit at a quicker pace.However, KB Home still simultaneously advertises their construction practice as “dedicated to tree preservation”. Click here for the ADVERTISEMENT.