Diamond Lake’s historic reputation as the "Gem of the Cascades" for its wonderful trout fishing beneath a breathtaking backdrop is more than just the lake’s legacy.

It’s now the anchor of Bob Pinson’s fundraising pitch to anyone and everyone willing to put a few bucks toward returning the lake’s storied past.

Pinson is the professional fundraiser running the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation’s effort to raise the final $1.86 million needed to chemically treat the lake with rotenone to kill off the chubs, then restock it with trout and monitor its recovery.

Depending upon the crowd, his best way into people’s pocketbooks so far is reminding Oregonians what a gem Diamond Lake was before the chubs.

"A lot of people have such fond memories of fishing with family at that lake," Pinson says. "It has a special feeling for people.

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"What we’re saying, keep our heritage alive by keeping these kinds of special places for families," Pinson says.

So far, the pitch has come mainly to philanthropic families, foundations and corporations across Oregon, offered by members of a steering committee sprinkled across the state.

But the sell is going public, initially through a full-page advertisement in the new 2006 sport-fishing regulations booklet now available at ODFW offices and sporting goods stores statewide.

The ad gives a short description of the lake’s current state, the plan to restore the fishery and a pledge coupon.

Prospective pledges are directed toward the Web site www.RestoreDiamondLake.org for more information, and donors also receive a one-year membership to the foundation.

"It’s been kind of a soft-sell," says Rod Brobeck, executive director of the Portland-based foundation. "We haven’t really gone public asking for donations. But it’ll become more public here now."

The public already is well aware of the chub plague in Diamond Lake.

Illegally introduced in the early 1990s, the small, plankton-eating chubs now number in the millions and have altered the lake’s ecosystem. The degradation has reached a point where fingerling trout cannot survive and toxic algae blooms close the lake to recreation at times in the summer.

The lake was once Oregon’s top trout lake, drawing more than 100,000 angler-trips a year. A group of state and federal agencies, as well as private interests, have crafted a federally approved plan aimed at rejuvenating the lake’s popularity.

Plans call for drawing down the lake this spring and treating it this fall with rotenone to kill off chubs, then restocking the lake with trout.

Under the estimated $5.5 million plan, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for the rotenone purchase and application as well as water monitoring and fish stocking.

For that, the ODFW has turned to the foundation, which has a reputation as one of the best and most successful fundraisers for fish and wildlife efforts in Oregon.

The foundation cut its teeth in the early 1980s by raising about $1.5 million toward the purchase of ranches along the lower Deschutes River to keep public access there.

Now, the foundation is being asked to sprinkle a little of its pixie dust on Diamond Lake.

"It’s become a little bit more of a problem than we thought," Brobeck says.

Diamond Lake’s trout fishery has been a bust for a decade. Had fund-raising efforts started when the chubs were discovered 13 years ago, it would have been an easier sell, Brobeck says.

So the foundation is trying to mine the lake’s history by reminding people how great the lake was and why it behooves them to give future generations the same kind of memories.

"A lot of people may not fish there anymore, but they used to fish there," Brobeck says. "A lot of people got their start there."

So far, the foundation has collected about $700,000 in pledges, Brobeck says.

"It’s better now than it was, but it’s going to be a struggle," Brobeck says.

Pinson, who is also a heritage foundation board member, says the Diamond Lake sales pitch also includes stressing the economic impact of a restored fishery and the lake’s poor summer water quality.

He also stresses the hundreds of kids who would use the lake if its fishery and water-quality are restored.

"We’re pitching all four of those, depending upon the crowd," says Pinson, who is contracted by the foundation and expects to earn about $80,000-$90,000 for the work.

Pinson expects to have the pledges lined up by summer.

The foundation also has a $100,000 grant request pending at the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Brobeck says. Plans also include asking for help from the state Restoration and Enhancement Program, which uses a $2 surcharge on angling licenses to fund fish-improvement projects.

Brobeck hopes the pledges and grants help the foundation reach its goal before they get down to bake-sale desperation.

"We’re not there yet," Brobeck says. "But ... what kind of cookies do you like, and are you willing to pay $10 a dozen for them?"

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.