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, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Hawk George W Jr   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INC. [CLF] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) General Counsel & Secretary (Last) (First) (Middle) 200 PUBLIC SQUARE, SUITE 3300 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/03/2010 (Street) CLEVELAND, OH 44114-2315 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 03/03/2010   A(1)   16,575 A $ 53.6 36,876 D   Common Stock 03/03/2010   F(2)   5,666 D $ 53.6 31,210 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

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

Retention Units 2007-2009

(3)

03/03/2010

D

1,950

(4)

(4)

Common Shares

1,950 (5)

$ 46.09

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hawk George W Jr 200 PUBLIC SQUARE SUITE 3300 CLEVELAND, OH 44114-2315			General Counsel & Secretary

Signatures

Traci L. Forrester by Power of Attorney		03/05/2010
**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 a payout in Common Stock of Performance Shares earned under the 2007 Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Incentive Equity Plan (as Amended December 31, 2008) (Equity Plan) for the 2007-2009 Performance Period.
(2)	Surrender of Performance Shares represented in payment of the related tax liability incurred by the reporting person.
(3)	Convertible into Common Shares on a 1-for-1 basis.
(4)	Represents a payout of retention units to the Reporting Person under the 2007 Equity Plan covering the period of January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 (Retention Period). Retention units are paid out to the Reporting Person in cash based on the market value price of the Common Shares of the Issuer on the last day of the Retention Period.
(5)	Since the date of grant, the common stock of the Company split 2-for-1 on May 15, 2008 resulting in the reporting person receiving an additional 975 Retention Units.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.