California Officials Asked Local Governments For Money for Park With a $54 Million Surplus

An independent state audit intends to find how the money was hidden

California's prized park system -- from the Sierra Nevada to the golden southern beaches – is facing big problems as a high-priority audit gets underway to learn how officials stashed a $54 million secret surplus while soliciting money from local governments and others to stay afloat.

The independent state audit is scheduled to begin immediately and produce findings within the next few months, said GOP Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, who helped win bipartisan approval for the probe.