Ownership Submission
FORM 5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Form 3 Holdings Reported
Form 4 Transactions Reported
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

ANNUAL 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
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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. Statement for Issuer's Fiscal Year Ended (Month/Day/Year)
12/31/2008
(Street)


CLEVELAND, OH 44114		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting
(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 at end of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock             23,094 D  
Common Stock             349,592 I Co-Trustee (1)

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 2270 (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 at End of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
(A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Units               (3)   (3) Common Shares
23,039.6555
  23,039.6564 (4)
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 01/06/2009
**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) 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.
(2) Convertible into Common Shares on a 1-for-1 basis.
(3) 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.
(4) The total includes dividend reinvestment pursuant to the Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (formerly Cleveland-Cliffs Inc) Nonemployee Directors' Compensation Plan ("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 16.8162, 37.888, and 78.4502 dividend reinvestment shares on 6/30/2008, 9/30/2008 and 12/31/2008 respectively.

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