KAHULUI, Maui — About 150 homeless people who have set up camps near the Pa'ia end of the main Kahului Airport runway will be evicted in the next couple of months, state officials said.

Some of the 40 to 50 campsites are as close as 150 feet from the runway fence line. Campers have set up tarps, tents and furniture and have littered the area with trash and bottles, photos taken by state officials show.

Some campsites have hazardous materials such as propane tanks and car batteries, and a few campers live in old military bunkers.

Kahului Airport manager Marvin Moniz said airport officials became aware of the encampments when dogs from the area bit a child and then a teenager in separate incidents in October and December. Neither victim suffered serious injuries, he said.

About 40 officials from government and nonprofit agencies attended a private meeting with state Department of Transportation officials Thursday morning to discuss the process of helping the homeless campers as well as plans to clean up the 2.5 acres between the northwest end of Kanaha Beach Park and Stable Road. The state property includes wetland and forested areas along the shoreline.

"This is definitely not just a DOT problem, but a community issue that will affect every agency as well as the community," said DOT spokeswoman Tammy Mori.

Agencies such as the Maui Humane Society and Maui Police Department also are involved, Mori said. Animal control officers are needed to address campers' pets, including about 60 cats at one campsite, she said.

At Thursday's meeting, Moniz outlined a four-phase plan dubbed "Operation Restore," Mori said.

In the first phase, campers will be told of state plans to clean the area and notified of the impending evictions at least a month in advance, she said. A date for evictions has not been set.

A second phase would be for follow-up to ensure everyone has complied with the order to leave. In the third phase, the area will be cleared of rubbish and hazardous materials left behind by campers.

In the final phase, Mori said, the state will cut trees and brush that affect area visibility to make it easier for officials to monitor activity.