Mono County Municipal Code Ch. 10.64 Firearm Discharge

The following words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

A. "Firearm" means shotgun, rifle, pistol, crossbow, bow and arrow, compressed air gun, pellet gun, BB gun, pistol or revolver from which shot, bullets or missiles are discharged.

B. "Peace officer" means any person authorized to act as a peace officer by the laws of the state of California.

C. "Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership or unincorporated association, and includes the agents or employees thereof.

(Ord. 87-434-F § 4, 1987.)

It is unlawful for any person, other than a peace officer as defined in Section 10.64.010, to shoot, fire or discharge any firearm, or bow and arrow, in the unincorporated territory lying within the boundaries described in Section 10.64.030, except when it may be necessary so to do to protect life or property or to destroy or kill any predatory or dangerous animal.

(Ord. 73-434 § 19(B), 1973.)

A. Except as the exemptions contained in subsection B of this section may apply, it is unlawful for any person, to discharge a firearm other than a bow and arrow, but not including a crossbow, and other than a shotgun or frontloading muzzle pistol or rifle, in the territory lying within the boundaries described in Section 10.64.035, except when it may be necessary so to do to protect life or property. "Shotgun" includes, but is not limited to, the discharge from a shotgun of shot or of any slug, irrespective of the diameter of the slug.

B. The following persons are exempt from the prohibitions contained in subsection A of this section:

1. Any peace officer acting in his or her official capacity;

2. Any officer, employee or agent of the California Department of Fish and Game acting in his or her official capacity;

3. Any officer, employee or agent of the United States Forest Service acting in his or her official capacity;

4. Any person who has received a permit from the police department of the town of Mammoth Lakes to operate a firearms range who is acting within the scope of the permit;

5. Any officer, employee or agent of the animal control department of the town or Mammoth Lakes acting in his or her official capacity.

(Ord. 87-434-F § 4, 1987.)

The boundaries of the unincorporated territory wherein the prohibition of Section 10.64.020 applies are described as follows:

A. Commencing at the southeast corner of Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, said part being the southeast corner of Township 3 South, Range 27 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian; thence along the south line of said Section 36 to the southwest corner of said Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 27 East; thence south along the west line of Section 1, Township 4 South, Range 27 East to the southwest corner of the northwest one-quarter of said section; thence westerly to the southwest corner of Section 2, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence southwesterly to the southwest corner of Section 10, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence south along the westerly boundary of Section 15, Township 4 South, Range 27 East to the southwest corner of said Section 15; thence southeasterly to the center point or midpoint of Section 22, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence west to the center of the west line of Section 22, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence northerly to the northwest corner of Section 21, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence northerly to the northwest corner of Section 17, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence northerly to the center point of the north line of Section 8, Township 4 South, Range 27 East, said midpoint being the northwest corner of the northeast one-quarter of said Section 8, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence northerly to the center point of the east boundary of Section 5, Township 4 South, Range 27 East, said center point being the northeast corner of the southeast one-quarter of said Section 5, Township 4 South, Range 27 East; thence northerly to the center point of the north line of Section 4, said center point being the northwest corner of the northeast one-quarter of said Section 4; thence north to the center point of the north line of Section 33, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, thence east along the north line of said Section 33, Township 3 South, Range 27 East to the northeast corner of Section 34, Township 23 South, Range 27 East; thence along the north line of Section 34, Township 3 South, Range 27 East to the northeast corner of Section 35, Township 3 South, Range 27 East; thence along the north line of Section 35, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, to the center point of the north line of said Section 35, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, said center point being the northwest corner of the northeast one-quarter of said Section 35, Township 3 South, Range 27 East; thence southerly in a straight line across the northeast one-quarter of Section 35, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, continuing in said southerly direction across Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 27 East to the east boundary of said Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, where said east boundary intersects with State Highway 203; thence south along the east boundary of said Section 36, Township 3 South, Range 27 East to the point of beginning;

B. Commencing at the intersection of the property commonly known and described as the "Manzanita Trailer Park" and the south boundary of State Highway Route 203; thence southerly along the east boundary of said property to the southeast corner thereof; thence westerly along the south boundary of said property to the southwest corner thereof; thence continuing westerly on the same bearing and parallel to State Highway Route 203 to a point on said bearing and parallel which is one-half mile east of the Old Mammoth Road, County Road No. 336; thence from said point and parallel to said Old Mammoth Road (County Road No. 336) a distance of one-half mile to the east and south; southerly and as said road curves generally to the west, westerly to the intersection of said line and a point one-half mile westerly of State Highway Route 203 thence northerly and parallel to said State Route 203 and one-half mile to the west of said highway route to the intersection of said line and the Minaret Summit Road (State Highway Route 203); thence easterly from said intersection to the point of beginning; said description being in essence an area circumscribed by a boundary which is one-half mile from County Road No. 336 and State Highway Route 203;

C. The area circumscribed by the following: Commencing at point one-half mile north of the Honeymoon Unit of Robinson Creek Campground and the intersection of Twin Lakes Road (County Road No. 420); thence southerly one-half mile on each side of said road to one-half mile north of Lower Twin Lakes; thence one-half mile on each side of said Lower Twin Lakes and Upper Twin Lakes to a point one-half mile west of said Upper Twin Lakes; the prohibitions contained in Section 10.64.020 shall not apply to the discharge of shotguns incapable of propelling any shot, bullet or missile for a distance in excess of one-half mile;

D. The exterior boundaries of the northwest one-quarter, northeast one-quarter, Section 28, Township 5 North, Range 25 East;

E. Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 35, Township 4 South, Range 29 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, thence south one-eighth mile; thence west one-fourth mile; thence south three-eighths mile, thence west one-forth mile to the center of Section 35, Township 4 South, Range 29 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, thence north one-eighth mile, thence west one-fourth mile, thence north one-eighth mile, thence west one-forth mile, thence north, one-half mile, thence east three-fourths miles, thence north one-fourth mile, thence east one-half mile, thence south one-half mile, thence west one-fourth mile to the point of beginning;

F. The following described sections, all in Township 5 South, Range 30 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian: All of Section 13 lying west of "Old Sherwin Grade Highway;" all of Section 14; the east one-half of Section 23; all of Section 24. Also, the following described sections, all in Township 5 South, Range 31 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, lying west of "Old Sherwin Grade Highway:" Sections 18, 19 and 20;

G. The following described sections and subsections, all in Township 2 South, Range 26 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian: The west one-half of the west one-half of Section 1; the north one-half of the southeast one-quarter, the northeast one-quarter and the south one-half of the southeast one-quarter of Section 2; the south one-half of the southeast one-quarter of Section 8; the southeast one-quarter of the southeast one-quarter of Section 10; all of Section 11 except the north one-half of the northwest one-quarter; the northwest one-quarter, the west one-half of the southwest one-quarter, the west one-half of the northeast one-quarter of the southwest one-quarter, and the west one-half of the west one-half of the northeast one-quarter of Section 14, excluding therefrom the area of the June Lake Target Rifle Range; the east one-half, the southeast one-quarter of the northwest one-quarter, the south one-half of the southwest one-quarter and the northeast one-quarter of the southwest one-quarter of Section 15; the south one-half of the southeast one-quarter; the southeast one-quarter of the southwest one-quarter and the west one-half of the west one-half of Section 16; the east one-half of Section 17; the northeast one-quarter of the northeast one-quarter of Section 20; the north one-half of Section 21; the north one-half of the northwest one-quarter and the northwest one-quarter of the northeast one-quarter of Section 22;

H. The following described sections, all in Township 5 South, Range 33 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian: the east one-half of Section 8; Section 9; the south one-half of Section 4; and the southeast one-quarter of Section 5;

I. All of Section 17, T.4S., R.29E., M.D.B.&M. lying west of the easterly right-of-way line of State Highway 395;

J. In, on, around or within five hundred feet from any county disposal site. As used herein, the term "county disposal site" means the places within the county approved by the board at which solid waste is permitted to be dumped, abandoned or accepted, or disposed of by burning, landfilling, or any other approved and designated method;

K. The following described sections, and subsections, all in Township 3 South, Range 28 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian: the southwest one-quarter of Section 29; the southeast one-quarter of Section 30; the east one-half of Section 31; and all of Section 32;

L. All those portions of Sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, and 29, Township 3 South, Range 27 East, M.D.B. & M. And a portion of Section 19, Township 3 South, Range 28 East, M.D.B. & M., county of Mono, state of California encompassed and lying within the following described lines:

Beginning at a point of intersection of the west right-of-way line of California State Highway U.S. 395 with the south line of Section 19, Township 3 South, Range 28 East; thence westerly along said south line of Section 19 to the south line of Section 24, Township 3 South, Range 27 East; thence westerly along said south line of said Section 24 to the southwest corner of Section 24; thence southerly along the east line of Section 26, Township 3 South, Range 27 East to the ¼ corner common to Section 25 and 26; thence westerly along the east-west center section lines of Sections 26, 27, 28 and 29 to a point of intersection with the centerline of the existing improved United States Forest Service roadway designated as number 3S89; thence in a northeasterly direction along the centerline of said road 3S89 to a point of intersection with the centerline of United States Forest Service road designated as number 3S30; thence in an easterly direction along the centerline of said road 3S30 to a point of intersection with the centerline of the Mammoth Lakes Scenic Loop Road; thence in a northeasterly direction along the Mammoth Lakes Scenic Loop Road centerline a distance of five tenths (.5) of a mile; thence easterly, on a straight line a distance of nine tenths (.9)+ of a mile to a point of intersection with the centerline intersections of United States Forest Service roads designated as numbers 3S24 and 3S32; thence southerly and easterly along the centerline of said road 3S32 to a point of intersection with United States Forest Service road 3S08; thence southerly along the centerline of said road 3S08 to a point of intersection with the centerline of United States Forest Service road designated as number R3S278 as per the Off Highway Vehicle Plan and Inventory Plat on file in the Mammoth Lakes Forest Service Office; thence easterly, along the centerline of United States Forest Service road designated as number R3S216 as also shown on the Forest Service Off Highway Vehicle Plan and Inventory Plat, to the end of road R3S216; thence easterly to the terminus of an unnamed dirt road which extends westerly from State Highway U.S. 395 in the northwest ¼ of the southwest ¼ of Section 19, Township 3 South, Range 28 East, M.D.B. & M.; thence easterly along the centerline of said unnamed dirt road to the intersection with the west right-of-way line of California State Highway U.S. 395; thence in a southeasterly direction along the west right-of-way line of State Highway U.S. 395 to the point of the beginning.

The road centerlines as called for herein shall be prolongated or shortened as necessary so as to intersect at road intersections.

(Ord. 97-05 §§ 1, 2, 1997; Ord. 96-05, 1996; Ord. 94-03, 1994; Ord. 92-03, 1992; Ord. 89-434-G § 1, 1989; Ord. 82-434 § 2, 1982; Ord. 76-434-B § 2, 1976; Ord. 73-434-A § 1, 1973; Ord. 73-434 § 19(C), 1973.)

(Ord. No. 11-02, § 1, 4-12-2011)

The boundaries of the unincorporated territory wherein the prohibitions of Section 10.64.025 apply are described as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 395 and the northerly line of section 30, T3S, R28E, thence west to the northwest corner of section 25, T3S, R27E, thence south to the westerly ¼ corner of section 25, thence east to the center of section of section 25, thence south to the southerly ¼ corner of section 2, T4S, R27E, thence west to the southwest corner of section 2, thence south to the westerly ¼ of section 11, thence west to the center of section 10, thence south to the 8400' contour line, thence east following the 8400' contour line of section 12, thence east to the intersection of Summers Road, thence northeast following the Sherwin Creek Road to the intersection of U.S. Highway, thence northwest on U.S. Highway 395 to the point of beginning.

(Ord. 87-434-F § 5, 1987.)

The following exemptions shall apply to the no shooting zones of specific communities:

A. Long Valley. Archery target practice on private property may be allowed if the target practice range is sited and used in a safe manner such that no arrow may be allowed to leave the property upon which the range is located and no danger is posed to any person or property. The following conditions shall be required in addition to any other safe archery range practices:

1. The range must have a target or targets. All range targets must be commercially-sold, three-dimensional, animal-shaped targets or be made of a bale of hay or similar substance sufficient to absorb the arrow. A target may not be any other natural or man-made object that has not been designed and manufactured to be an archery target.

2. The range must be sited and have a backstop made and designed to prevent an arrow from leaving the property or failing to protect any person or other property.

3. Only arrows with target tips may be used.

4. All arrows must be shot in a straight, horizontal line or trajectory, extending no more than thirty yards in distance.

5. Any target practice shall only occur during daylight hours.

6. Target practice while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited and constitutes a misdemeanor.

7. Minors under the age of sixteen shall only shoot when accompanied by an adult.

8. Cross-bows are not within the exemption.

B. Chalfant Valley. Chalfant Valley's history of agricultural use and the absence of a no shooting zone in West Chalfant shall allow for the following exemptions:

1. Shooting on property within an agricultural zone to dispatch an animal raised for food in a humane manner consistent with state law regulating the killing of livestock and in a manner that poses no harm to any person or other property.

(Ord. No. 11-02, § 2, 4-12-2011)

Within a reasonable time following the adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter, a map or maps shall be prepared which outline the territory described in this chapter in relation to the obvious landmarks of the unincorporated territory described in this chapter. The map or maps shall be deemed an approximation only and shall be controlled by the more specific descriptions contained in this chapter.

(Ord. 73-434 § 19(D), 1973.)

Upon completion of the map or maps, they shall be attached hereto and made a part of this chapter.

All maps depicting the boundaries of the no shooting zones shall also include reference to the location of the one hundred fifty yard "safety zone" set forth in Fish and Game Code Section 3004. Each map shall be posted in a clear and prominent location somewhere within or at the boundaries of the area in which it applies.

(Ord. 73-434 § 19(E), 1973.)

(Ord. No. 11-02, § 3, 4-12-2011)

The provisions of this chapter are to be read to supplement, and not restrict, any state law regulating the discharge of firearms, including but not limited to Fish and Game Code Section 3004, and Penal Code Sections 374c and 246.3, and as those sections may be amended.

(Ord. 73-434 § 19(F), 1973.)

(Ord. No. 11-02, § 4, 4-12-2011)

It shall be unlawful to violate or fail to comply with any provision of this chapter. A violation of this chapter may be charged and prosecuted as a misdemeanor or an infraction in the discretion of the district attorney and as provided in Section 1.04.060 of the Mono County Code. The Mono County Sheriff's Department and the Mono County compliance specialist may issue a citation or effect an arrest pursuant to Penal Code Sections 853.5 and 853.6 and/or Mono County Code Section 1.13.030.

(Ord. 73-434 § 19(H), 1973.)

(Ord. No. 11-02, § 5, 4-12-2011)

PROHIBITED AREAS 10.64.030 A & B

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 C

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 D

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 E

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 F

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 G

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 H

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 I

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 K

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PROHIBITED AREA 10.64.030 L

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