FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
IRELAND JAMES D III
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INC. [CLF] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1801 EAST 9TH STREET, SUITE 1700		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/12/2009
(Street)

CLEVELAND, OH 44114		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 05/12/2009   A(1)   2,596 A $ 58.89 25,690 D  
Common Stock               349,592 I Co-Trustee (2)

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Units (3)               (4)   (4) Common Shares 23,150.6671 (5)   23,150.668 (6) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
IRELAND JAMES D III
1801 EAST 9TH STREET
SUITE 1700
CLEVELAND, OH 44114		   X      

Signatures

 Traci L. Forrester by Power of Attorney   05/13/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Reflects the number of restricted shares credited to the account of the Reporting Person as the Annual Equity Grant pursuant to the Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Non-Employee Directors' Compensation Plan (as Amended and Restated December 31, 2008).
(2) The shares represented are held in five trusts for the benefit of siblings and the Reporting Person who is a co-trustee of the trusts. The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of 255,894 of these shares. The Reporting Person has an interest in the income or corpus with respect to 93,698 shares.
(3) Convertible into Common Shares on a 1-for-1 basis.
(4) Reflects number of Common Shares underlying deferred compensation credited to the account of the Reporting Person pusuant to the dividend reinvestment feature of the Plan. Each Stock Unit is generally distributable following termination of service as a Director.
(5) The Reporting Person was credited with 111.0116 of dividend reinvestment shares acquired on March 31, 2009 pursuant to the Plan.
(6) The total includes dividend reinvestment pursuant to the Nonemployee Directors' Compensation Plan (as Amended and Restated December 31, 2008) ("Plan"). The number of deferred dividend reinvestment equivalent shares earned in the Plan is calculated using the closing market price at the end of each quarter for shares held in the Plan. The reporting person was credited with 111.0116 dividend reinvestment shares on 3/31/2009.

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