Ownership Submission
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF 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
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  BLAKE DAVID B
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
03/09/2010
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INC. [CLF]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
1100 SUPERIOR AVENUE, SUITE 1500
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP, Oper. N. Amer. Iron Ore
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

CLEVELAND, OH 44114
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 Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)
3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock 9,124 (1)
D
 
Common Stock 382 (2)
I
VNQDC (3)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
BLAKE DAVID B
1100 SUPERIOR AVENUE
SUITE 1500
CLEVELAND, OH 44114
      SVP, Oper. N. Amer. Iron Ore  

Signatures

Traci L. Forrester by Power of Attorney 03/09/2010
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(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) The total represents shares earned as Performance Shares (3,759 shares) and Restricted Stock Units (5,365 Units) granted and/or awarded to the the Reporting Person from the Cleveland-Cliffs Inc 1992 Incentive Equity Plan or the 2007 Incentive Equity Plan (as Amended and Restated December 31, 2008).
(2) The amount represents an exchange of all or a portion of the Reporting Person's cash bonus for Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (Company) Common Shares on a deferred basis (Bonus Exchange and Match Shares) under the Company's 2005 Voluntary Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (VNQDC).
(3) Held for the benefit of the Reporting Person by the Company's VNQDC.

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

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