Nobody could argue with the overarching mission. The state wants to construct a biocontrol center for the securely contained development of biological solutions to Hawaii’s invasive-species woes, which likely will only get worse as climate change continues to leave endemic flora and fauna vulnerable to pests and disease.

The requested $35 million is largely for the structure itself and needed equipment, and Hawaii’s existing facilities are outdated, based on reports from state Department of Agriculture (DOA) staff. However, what needs clarifying before any major commitment of funds is the human element rather than the bricks and mortar.

When the DOA makes its more formal pitch for funding after the state Legislature convenes next month, lawmakers will need to see what partnerships and agreements for facility-sharing can be made among the agencies dealing with the problem most often.

Besides the state Agriculture Department, the likely partners would include researchers from the University of Hawaii, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service.

A detailed plan for agreements among the partners should be made first to ensure that a state-of-the-art facility can be shared effectively, and that the requirements for permits can be navigated with a minimum of bureaucratic delays.

The outline of a proposal for a regional biocontrol center was unveiled last week in Kona. Gov. David Ige raised the plan during his keynote address at a workshop of the Western Governors’ Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative.

The governor sees the center as a focal point of his administration’s established blueprint, titled “Hawaii Interagency Biosecurity Plan, 2017-2027.” It includes about 150 components, not all of them currently funded by the Legislature, the governor said; its implementation costs are estimated at $39 million annually.

Granted, the invasive species problems this plan aims to correct are poised to cost the state much more than that. So, properly constructed and managed, the control center should yield a return.

For example, the invasion of little fire ants with their debilitating sting has been estimated to cost the state $200 million annually due to its impact on agriculture and tourism. And if the brown tree snake becomes established in Hawaii, the DOA projects that it would cost $2 billion a year in economic damage.

So it is crucial that things be done to control such pests, and clearly chemical pesticides and herbicides can’t be the only solutions. Spraying enough to beat down the invasive species can destroy the crop or native species that environmentalists seek to protect.

Biocontrol — using the natural predators of the pest, control organisms that consume the pest and no desirable species — is an approach that does need to be expanded.

The limiting factor, according to statements from the state DOA, is containment. None of the three existing research facilities statewide are built to national or local standards for containment.

Researching a tiny insect that may prove effective in eradicating another pest could produce a critical tool, but not if it’s able to escape the research lab. Then, rather than the cure, it becomes yet another scourge.

The detailed plans for the facility need to be studied, with full costs of construction, equipment and staff factored in, so lawmakers can decide if all expenses are justified.

And in the end, it’s always about the people, and not only the building. Without instituting agreements and procedures that ensure efficient collaborative work, the drive to build a world-class center could merely add to a network of institutional silos.

And silos, while great for storing grain, won’t aid effective research. That requires an environment set up for cooperation.