Coho,I hope that beam is pressure treated and is ground contact material. It is never a good idea to bury a beam in the future. haul the dirt away and let the deck breathe. I used a product called Tiger deck from the Depot for my Whidbey deck, hella expensive but installed with clips it breaths all the way around. Cedar rots like all the rest. This stuff has held up fine for 4 years have not even power washed it.