The restoration initiative is based on a wide-ranging Great Lakes cleanup wish list crafted by government officials, scientists and advocates from across the region in 2005.
The amount is down from the $475 million Congress appropriated for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative last year at Obama's request. Administration officials said the drop-off for the 2011 fiscal year is reasonable, with federal agencies under pressure to cut costs.
It "reflects the difficult economic times while recognizing the president's continued commitment to restoring and protecting this vital environmental and economic treasure," the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.
EPA chief Lisa Jackson described the $300 million request as "robust" in a call with reporters, noting that much of the money from last year's appropriation had yet to be spent.
The deadline recently passed to apply for $120 million in restoration project grants under the 2010 budget. EPA has received more than 1,000 requests from states, Indian tribes, cities, universities and advocacy groups and will award the money in May, a spokeswoman said.
It calls for eventually spending more than $20 billion for measures such as slamming the door on exotic species, removing sediments laced with toxins, improving wildlife habitat and reducing runoff of pollutants that cause algae blooms and oxygen-deprived "dead zones."