The director may acquire, in fee or in trust, by gift, or whenever funds are appropriated for such purposes, by purchase, easement, lease, or condemnation, lands or other property, water supplies, as may be deemed necessary for use by the department for establishing quarantine stations for the purpose of the isolation, prevention, eradication, elimination, and control of insect pests or plant pathogens that affect the agricultural or horticultural products of the state; for the propagation of biological control agents; or the isolation of genetically engineered plants or plant pests; or the isolation of bee pests.