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

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * DUNLAP DWIGHT L   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NATURAL RESOURCE PARTNERS LP [NRP] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) CFO and Treasurer (Last) (First) (Middle) 601 JEFFERSON STREET, SUITE 3600 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/22/2012 (Street) HOUSTON, TX 77002 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 Units (1) 02/22/2012   M   7,000 A (1) 27,836 D   Common Units (1) 02/22/2012   D   7,000 D $ 26.9 (1) 20,836 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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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

Phantom Units (2)

(5)

02/22/2012

M

7,000

02/22/2012

02/22/2012

Common Units

7,000

(5)

0

D

Phantom Units (2)

(3) (4)

02/12/2013

02/12/2013

Common Units

8,000

8,000

D

Phantom Units (2)

(3) (4)

02/11/2014

02/11/2014

Common Units

8,000

8,000

D

Phantom Units (2)

(3) (4)

02/10/2015

02/10/2015

Common Units

9,000

9,000

D

Phantom Units (2)

(3) (4)

02/14/2016

02/14/2016

Common Units

10,000

10,000

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
DUNLAP DWIGHT L 601 JEFFERSON STREET, SUITE 3600 HOUSTON, TX 77002			CFO and Treasurer

Signatures

Dwight L. Dunlap		02/24/2012
**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 common units were deemed to have been purchased and sold on the date of vesting of the phantom units listed in Table II, which were paid in cash on a one for one basis based on the average closing price of the common units for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the date of vesting.
(2)	The phantom units were granted to the reporting person under the issuer's long term incentive plan.
(3)	The phantom units will be paid in cash based on the average closing price of the common units for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the date of vesting.
(4)	Award includes tandem distribution equivalent rights pursuant to which the quarterly distributions paid by the partnership on each unit will be accrued over the vesting period and paid on vesting.
(5)	As described in Footnote 1, upon vesting, the phantom units were paid in cash on a one for one basis based on the average closing price of the common units for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the date of vesting.

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