Outdoor Living & Lifestyles - What wood species for outdoor slat bench

My wife and I grabbed a slat bench that someone was throwing out. The sides of the bench are pretty much rust free. The wood slats are beyond repair, so they will need to be replaced as well as the hardware, which is rusted pretty bad. There are 9 main slats, 2.5", 1/2" deep, and 4 feet long. There are three additional slats (two at the bottom, one at the top) which have the same dimensions only they are 1.5" wide.

1. What kind of wood should I go with for strength and longevity?
2. How should I finish the wood so it withstands the great outdoors?

I plan on using stainless steel fasteners to attach the wood slats to the iron sides so I don't have to worry about rust.

I would suggest treated pine, redwood or reclaimed teak. Cedar would also work.

You could use deck stain/water sealer or marine varnish.

Newt