The most significant membership contributors are noted as the "Group of 54." The commitment required to be included in the Group of 54 is a five year allocation of a minimum of $200 per year. The five year commitments automatically renew at the investor's original level, unless otherwise requested.

As with all donations and membership investments, the funds serve two main purposes: they cover the organizational operating expenses, and they provide part or all of required local match funding for various project grants.

Within this Group of 54 there is a very important subset. This special segment of twenty investors is known as the Charter Members. These are the businesses, individuals and organizations that early on, believed in the value and advantages of an officially designated Byway and were willing to commit significant funds to the effort. The strong support of these twenty members during the formative stage for the PBSBA, put the new organization on strong footing and set the stage for the successful completion of the many projects over the years.

Charter Members
Dave & Mary Badger
Bait Box Marina
Bay View Lodge
Black Pine Beach Resort
Boyd Lodge
Breezy Point Resort
Lynn and Paul Hunt (Hunt Utilities Group)
Lakeside, Lawn and Landscape
Lakes State Bank  (Pequot Lakes and Crosslake)
Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant
Don and Buff Spies
TDS Telecom
Towering Pines Resort
Whitefish Golf Club
Wildwedge Golf, Mini Golf & Maze

Group of 54 Members
AmericInn Lodges and Suites of Pequot Lakes
Mary Lu and Richard Dietz (Birch Breeze Charitable Fund)
Ronda Hopkins
Ideal Community Service Organization
JM Plein Consulting
Adeline Johnson
KLKS 104.3 FM Radio
John and Karen Larsen
Moore Consulting
Pequot Sand & Gravel
Pine River Chamber of Commerce
Pine River State Bank
Stricker Arts, Steve & Donna Stricker
Linda Ulland
Weise Craft & Variety

Story behind the name.
There are now 54 miles in the collection of county roads that make up the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway. In 1998, when the Byway was officially designated, there were 48 miles. At one time, early in the formation of the group, it was said that there were fifty one miles in the route.

As numbers came and went, the name of this highest level of membership commitment changed too. At one point it was called the Group of 48, later the Group of 51, and finally now, the Group of 54.

The name has always been representative of the number of miles in the designated byway route. This group will be complete when the number of members equals the number of byway miles.