Stephen P Smith Form 4 NATURAL RESOURCE PARTNERS / STEPHEN P SMITH ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

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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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

SMITH STEPHEN P

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1201 LOUISIANA STREET

SUITE 3400

(Street)

HOUSTON TX 77002

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NATURAL RESOURCE PARTNERS LP [ NRP ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/13/2017

4. If Amendment, Date of 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

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)	02/13/2017		M		370	A	(1)	725	D
Common Units(1)	02/13/2017		D		370	D	$36.5375(1)	355	D

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 Securities Underlying Derivative Security (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: 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)	02/13/2017		M			370	02/13/2017	02/13/2017	Common Units	370	(5)	0	D
Phantom Units(2)	(3)(4)							02/12/2018	02/12/2018	Common Units	389		389	D
Phantom Units(2)	(3)(4)							02/11/2019	02/11/2019	Common Units	410		410	D

Explanation of Responses:

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., together with accrued distribution equivalent rights.

2. The phantom units were originally granted to the reporting person under the issuer's long term incentive plan. All phantom unit numbers have been adjusted to reflect the issuer's 1-for-10 reverse unit split completed in February 2016.

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, together with accrued distribution equivalent rights.

	Stephen P. Smith	02/15/2017
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* 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).
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