EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
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I, Terry K. Glenn, President of Merrill Lynch Natural Resources Trust, certify
that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Merrill Lynch Natural
Resources Trust (the "Fund");
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect
to the period covered by this report; and
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in
net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required
to include a statement of cash flows) of the Fund as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;
4. The Fund's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940)
for the Fund and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
to the Fund, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) evaluated the effectiveness of the Fund's disclosure controls
and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing
date of this report based on such evaluation; and
c) disclosed in this report any change in the Fund's internal
control over financial reporting that occurred during the
Fund's most recent fiscal half-year (the Fund's second fiscal
half-year in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Fund's internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The Fund's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation, to the Fund's auditors and the audit
committee of the Fund's board of directors (or persons performing
the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
Fund's ability to record, process, summarize, and report
financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the Fund's
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 19, 2004
/s/ Terry K. Glenn
------------------
Terry K. Glenn,
President of Merrill Lynch
Natural Resources Trust
EX-99. CERT
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302
OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I, Donald C. Burke, Chief Financial Officer of Merrill Lynch Natural Resources
Trust, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Merrill Lynch Natural
Resources Trust (the "Fund");
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect
to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in
net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required
to include a statement of cash flows) of the Fund as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;
4. The Fund's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940)
for the Fund and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
our supervision, to ensure that material information relating
to the Fund, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to us by others within those entities, particularly
during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) evaluated the effectiveness of the Fund's disclosure controls
and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing
date of this report based on such evaluation; and
c) disclosed in this report any change in the Fund's internal
control over financial reporting that occurred during the
Fund's most recent fiscal half-year (the Fund's second fiscal
half-year in the case of an annual report) that has materially
affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Fund's internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The Fund's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based
on our most recent evaluation, to the Fund's auditors and the audit
committee of the Fund's board of directors (or persons performing
the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
Fund's ability to record, process, summarize, and report
financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
or other employees who have a significant role in the Fund's
internal control over financial reporting.
Date: March 19, 2004
/s/ Donald C. Burke
-------------------
Donald C. Burke,
Chief Financial Officer of
Merrill Lynch Natural Resources
Trust