"The cedars, which have been used for centuries by Alaska Natives for totem poles and canoes, are now thought to contain oils that could be used to repel mosquitoes and other pests."

"In chip form, the tree also could help prevent the spread of sudden oak death -- a disease that has killed thousands of trees in California."

"Yellow cedar is highly valued as a timber product and is often used by engineers for hardy structures such as bridges and building beams, said U.S. Forest Service scientist Paul Hennon."

"Hennon has done considerable research into the decline in Alaska's yellow cedar stands. Within the past 100 years, more than half the trees within the 500,000 acres of the Tongass National Forest have died, according to the U.S. Forest Service."

"With warmer temperatures and lower rates of snowfall in late winter and early spring, some scientists theorize that the tree's shallow roots are being exposed to blasts of cold air, killing them in their prime."

"When yellow cedars die, they can remain standing for decades without decaying. The reason has been attributed to the composition of oils and their compounds within the tree's core, the "heartwood," which are slowly altered after the tree dies."

"U.S. Forest Service scientist Rick Kelsey, based in Corvallis, Ore., said it was only common sense to explore whether any practical use could be found for the hyper-defensive trees."

"Southeast Alaska's coastlines are dotted with yellow cedar snags, but living trees can be found on coastlines from northern California to Prince William Sound. They are somewhat rare in the Juneau area. They also are ancient. Yellow cedars coexisted with dinosaurs, Hennon said."

"Kelsey's studies have focused primarily on the heartwood, which makes up the tree's strength and contains the defensive essential oils."

"Kelsey and his team in Corvallis isolated more than a dozen essential oil compounds in varying concentrations. They include nootkatin,
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