Have you recently removed an old vineyard that had treated grape stakes and now have piles sitting on your property and don’t know how to get rid of them? The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering financial assistance to California grape growers to help properly dispose of chemically-treated wooden stakes. Treated grape stakes are typically treated with preserving chemicals that protect the wood from insect attack and fungal decay. Chemicals added to preserve wood and known to be toxic or carcinogenic include arsenic, chromium, copper, creosote, and pentachlorophenol. Burning treated grape stakes is prohibited by law.