Don't get pine, if they preclude the use of Permacast (resin) then get red cedar. It will last 3 times as long as pine, which I would not give a better than ten year survival period.
Will they not allow fiberglass or aluminum bases either? (not even going to suggest the foam bases and caps which are of a different order all together; not in a good way)
If pine column shafts are rot-prone, solid pine bases are all the more so.
Hollow columns allow for some air movement inside, and expose less end-grain area to take up water. I would seal the end grain with a penetrating oil primer anyway, and epoxy where the fasteners penetrate.
Casey

How does air move in a hollow column if both ends are sealed or covered with either a base or a cap. Is there usually a vent located somewhere? I believe I read somewhere that you needed a vent for air movement to help prevent rot.

Finger-jointed clear pine with ventilation will last a hundred years or more if maintained and properly detailed.

/\ yes, if kept safely indoors. Exterior, in the elements, not so much. Old pine had some moderate rot resistance; the current crop is pulpy and sucks in water like a sponge. Red cedar is not that much more costly if amortized over the life of the warranty on the pine columns.
The bases, capitals, abacus's and soffit/beam framing can be designed so there is air movement up from the base to the spaces above.
Casey

Hollow pine columns, partially protected by the porch roof, have lasted since roughly 1870 on my own house. So have the capitals. The bases have been a different story - much ongoing repair and maintainence.

Thanks for all the info shared. I will probably go with a western red cedar with stave construction.

Casey, with air circulation, does that mean the base is raised off the abacus an inch or so for air flow?

I was talking to a neighbor that still has his original columns on our 99 year old homes, and he has had to really maintain the bases and abacus's with caulking and I believe epoxy also.

Bases made from cypress are a traditional approach to rot resistance. (and the bases are a perfect place to use Azek if allowed -- once its painted it's indistinguishable from wood. ).

I find the finger joints always telegraph through the finish when used outside, stave construction but with decent wood that doesn't need finger joints is much better.

One way or another if you can allow air circulation up the column they will last longer. You can raise the base, drill a hole though the decking underneath, or add holes in the sides of the column top and bottom