8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED): March 5, 2004

NATURAL RESOURCE PARTNERS L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	001-31465 (Commission File Number)	35-2164875 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
601 Jefferson, Suite 3600 Houston, Texas (Address of principal executive offices)		77002 (Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 751-7507

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Press Release dated March 5, 2004

ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS.

Natural Resource Partners has filed a press release announcing the election of Stephen P. Smith to its Board of Directors as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press release dated March 5, 2004

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

NATURAL RESOURCE PARTNERS L.P. (Registrant)
By:	NRP (GP) LP
	its General Partner
By:	GP Natural Resource Partners LLC
	its General Partner
	/s/ Wyatt L. Hogan
	Wyatt L. Hogan
	Vice President and General Counsel

     Dated: March 5, 2004

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press release dated March 5, 2004

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Natural Resource Partners L.P.
601 Jefferson St., Suite 3600, Houston, TX 77002

NEWS RELEASE

Natural Resource Partners L.P.
Names Stephen P. Smith
To Board of Directors

HOUSTON, March 5, 2004 — Natural Resource Partners L.P. (NYSE: NRP) today named Stephen P. Smith to the Board of Directors. He makes the fourth independent director to serve on the board.

Mr. Smith is the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of American Electric Power. As such, he is responsible for AEP’s accounting, financial planning and budgeting, treasury, investor relations, and strategy functions. Prior to his current position, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer — Corporate Services for NiSource from November 2000 to January 2003, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Columbia Energy Group from November 1999 to November 2000 and Chief Financial Officer for both Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation and Columbia Gulf Transmission Company from 1997 to 1999.

“We are very pleased that Stephen Smith is joining our board of directors. Our board’s perspective will be further broadened by his financial expertise in the electric utility industry,” said Corbin J. Robertson, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Natural Resource Partners L.P. is headquartered in Houston, TX, with its operations headquarters in Huntington, WV. NRP is a master limited partnership that is principally engaged in the business of owning and managing coal properties in the three major coal producing regions of the United States: Appalachia, the Illinois Basin and the Powder River Basin.

For additional information, please contact Kathy Hager at 713-751-7555 or khager@nrplp.com. Further information about NRP is available on the partnership’s website at http://www.nrplp.com.

04-5

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